Loke said the proposal to resume the search in the southern Indian Ocean came from exploration firm Ocean Infinity, which had conducted the last search for the plane that ended in 2018.
A contract would be signed to cover an 18-month period and the firm would receive US$70 million if wreckage found is substantive, he said, adding the search will be on the seabed of a new area covering 15,000 sq km.
No precise location of the new search area was given.
“The proposal for a search operation by Ocean Infinity is a solid one and deserves to be considered,” he told reporters.
The government said it agreed to Ocean Infinity’s proposal “in principle” on Dec 13, with the transport ministry expected to finalise terms by early 2025.
The new search will resume “as soon as the contract is finalised and signed by both parties”, Loke said.
“They have informed us that the ideal time for the search in the designated waters is between January and April. We are working to finalise the agreement as quickly as possible,” he added.
Source: Channel News Asia