Ocean Infinity yesterday confirmed that its search for the wreckage of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 has come to an end.
The company said in a statement that it searched and collected high-quality data from over 112,000km² of the ocean floor, successfully overcoming both challenging conditions and terrain.
“The total area covered in a little over three months of operational days is in far excess of the initial 25,000 km sq target and almost the same area as the previous searched achieved in two and a half years.
“Part of our motivation for renewing the search was to try to provide some answers to those affected. It is therefore with a heavy heart that we end our current search without having achieved that aim,” Ocean Infinity’s chief executive officer Oliver Plunkett said.
He added that Ocean Infinity is grateful to the government of Malaysia for entertaining its offer and affording the company an opportunity to recommence the search.
“Whilst clearly the outcome so far is extremely disappointing, as a company, we are truly proud of what we have achieved both in terms of the quality of data we’ve produced and the speed with which we covered such a vast area. There simply has not been a sub-sea search on this scale carried out as efficiently or as effectively ever before,” Plunkett added.
He also said Ocean Infinity hoped that it will be able to again offer its services in search of MH370 in the future.
In January this year, Malaysia signed an agreement with Ocean Infinity to begin a new search for Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.
The priority search area in the southern Indian Ocean was based on ‘no cure, no fee,’ which meant that payment would only be made when the debris of the missing jetliner was found and confirmed by a third party.