New MH370 search about to kick off in Indian Ocean with Ocean Infinity’s vessel Armada

It’s one of world’s greatest aviation mysteries, and now, experts believe a new search could be our greatest chance yet of finding MH370.

A new search for missing MH370 is about to begin, with reports this new expedition conducted by marine robotics company Ocean Infinity will bring one of world’s greatest aviation mysteries to an end.

Just short of 11 years ago, Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared in the early morning hours of 8 March 2014 on a scheduled flight from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia to Beijing, China.

The search for the passenger plane, carrying 239 passengers and crew on board — including six Australians — focused initially on the South China Sea and Andaman Sea.

In the days after the crash, analysis of the plane’s signal could not locate the plane precisely but did determine that MH370 might have been anywhere on two arcs, “one stretching from Java southward into the Indian Ocean southwest of Australia and the other stretching northward across Asia from Vietnam to Turkmenistan,” Britannica.com explained.

MH370 is one of history's biggest aviation mysteries.

The search area was then expanded to the Indian Ocean southwest of Australia on the southern arc and Southeast Asia, western China, the Indian subcontinent, and Central Asia on the northern arc.

Weeks after the disappearance, an Australian ship detected several acoustic pings possibly from the Boeing 777’s “black box” about 2,000 km northwest of Perth, Western Australia, but concerns emerged that those ‘pings’ may have been faulty readings.

The first debris discovery was not made until July 2014 — some four months after MH370 disappeared — on a beach on the French Island of Réunion.

The following 18 months saw more than 20 pieces of debris found in total — on shorelines in Tanzania, Mozambique, South Africa, Madagascar, and Mauritius. While three pieces definitely came from MH370, some of the others were thought to have “likely” come from the aircraft.

Ocean Infinity ship, the Armada, is on the move.

In January 2017, the governments of Malaysia, Australia, and China made the decision to call off the search for MH370, but a year later — Malaysia commissioned a second underwater search — by Houston-based marine robotics company Ocean Infinity — on a ‘no find no fee’ basis. The search wrapped up in May of the same year.

The nature of the loss and the continued interest of the world has made the disappearance of MH370 one of history’s most famous missing aircraft.

According to reports, Ocean Infinity requested a renewed $70 million payment if the search mission for MH370 was a success this time — with the same ‘no find, no fee’ contract in place if they fail to do so.

Ocean Infinity Armada 78. Picture: Supplied

After announcing the new search mission in late 2024, Ocean Infinity’s vessel, Armada, is now currently moving from Mauritius to the zone of the crash, sitting 1500 kilometres west of Perth in the Indian Ocean, according to reports.

This search will mark the third attempt to locate the aircraft.

Aviation Source News suggests the new movement in the direction of the crash zone likely means a new attempt at a search is looming, possibly commencing this month although no official start date has been announced for the mission.

The MH370 search site and area identified by British engineer Richard Godfrey as the aircraft's point of impact. Picture: ATSB

“Shipping experts and MH370 enthusiasts closely monitor vessel movements, and this particular voyage is generating considerable excitement,” the publication reported, adding that the estimated arrival date for Armada 7806 in the designated area is around February 23, 2025.

“It strongly suggests the ship is en route to the prospective search zone in the Southern Indian Ocean.”

This new search area is some 15,000 square kilometres, with locations of the search determined by three research groups.

In an interview with 9News, aviation expert Geoff Thomas said this could finally be the search that brings closure to the families who lost loved ones on board.

“It’s massive that the search is starting again to bring closure to the loved ones left behind,” he said.

US marine robotics company Ocean Infinity will search again for MH370. Picture: Ocean Infinity

“This new search was brought about by work done by UK aerospace engineer Richard Godfrey, who has developed a new revolutionary tracking system using amateur radio waves,” Thomas said.

“The likelihood is extremely high that we will find it.”

American debris hunter Blaine Gibson, told GBNews he believes this new search has strong potential.

“We have both old and new credible evidence and analysis pointing to the location of the crash site, better search technology and the results of past searches,” he said.

We have a much better idea of where the plane is, and where it is not.”