Friday, 20 December 2024

Malaysian Govt to pay RM315m if MH370 wreckage found

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A man writes on a message board for passengers, onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, during its fifth annual remembrance event in Kuala Lumpur

Malaysian Govt to pay RM315m if MH370 wreckage found

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20, 2024: Reuters has reported that it would cost Malaysia US$70 million (RM315 million) if the MH370 jet’s wreckage is found.

Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook said Malaysia had agreed to resume the search for the wreckage of the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 that vanished 10 years ago on March 8, 2014.

Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew, vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Our responsibility and obligation and commitment is to the next of kin,” Loke told a press conference today.

No News Is Bad News reproduces below the Reuters news report and our previous posting on the same matter:

Malaysia agrees to resume search for wreckage of missing Flight MH370

Ashley Tang

Updated Fri 20 December 2024 at 4:37 pm GMT+8·3-min read

A man writes on a message board for passengers, onboard the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, during its fifth annual remembrance event in Kuala Lumpur

By Ashley Tang

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia has agreed to resume the search for the wreckage of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, its transport minister said on Friday, more than 10 years after it disappeared in one of the world's greatest aviation mysteries.

Flight MH370, a Boeing 777 carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew, vanished en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014.

"Our responsibility and obligation and commitment is to the next of kin," Transport Minister Anthony Loke told a press conference.

"We hope this time will be positive, that the wreckage will be found and give closure to the families."

Malaysian investigators initially did not rule out the possibility that the aircraft had been deliberately taken off course.

Debris, some confirmed and some believed to be from the aircraft, has washed up along the coast of Africa and on islands in the Indian Ocean.

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 $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 (5,790 sq miles).

No precise location of the new search area was given.

More than 150 Chinese passengers were on the flight. Others included 50 Malaysians as well as citizens of France, Australia, Indonesia, India, the United States, Ukraine and Canada, among others.

Relatives have demanded compensation from Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, aircraft engine maker Rolls-Royce and the Allianz insurance group among others.

CREDIBLE DATA

Loke said Malaysia had assessed new data on the possible location from multiple experts and Ocean Infinity was confident about the chances of locating the wreckage.

"The data has all been presented. Our team has gone through and they felt that it is credible," he said.

Malaysia engaged Ocean Infinity in 2018 to search in the southern Indian Ocean, but it failed on two attempts.

That followed an underwater search by Malaysia, Australia and China in a 120,000 sq km (46,332 sq mile) area of the southern Indian Ocean, based on data of automatic connections between an Inmarsat satellite and the plane.

The new arrangement would be on a no-find-no-fee principle, whereby Malaysia would not be required to pay Ocean Infinity unless sufficient wreckage is found and verified.

Asked about the prospects of locating all of the plane, Loke said it would be unfair to expect a concrete commitment.

"At this point of time, nobody knows for sure. It has been over 10 years," he said.

MH370's last transmission was about 40 minutes after it took off from Kuala Lumpur for Beijing. The captain signed off as the plane entered Vietnamese air space and soon after its transponder was turned off.

Military radar showed the plane left its flight path to fly back over northern Malaysia then out into the Andaman Sea before turning south, then all contact was lost.

A 495-page report into the disappearance in 2018 said the Boeing 777's controls were likely deliberately manipulated to go off course, but investigators could not determine who was responsible and stopped short of offering a conclusion on what happened, saying that depended on finding the wreckage.

Investigators have said there was nothing suspicious in the background, financial affairs, training and mental health of both the captain and co-pilot.

(Reporting by Ashley Tang; Writing by Martin Petty; Editing by John Mair and Raju Gopalakrishnan)

Thursday, 19 December 2024

Govt agrees to new search for MH370 after 10 years

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 The MH370 MAS jet went missing with 239 people on March 8, 2014

Govt agrees to new search for MH370 after 10 years

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20, 2024: The Government has decidcd to approve a new search for the ill-fated MH370 jet that vanished on March 8, 2014 with 239 people – mostly from China – en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook said the terms for the search would be finalised early next year.”

“The agreement will be based on the no find, no fee principle. This means Putrajaya will not have to pay the company anything unless the aircraft is found,” he added.

Loke said the Government had agreed to accept UK-based Ocean Infinity’s proposal for a new search mission for the Malaysia Airlines jet which disappeared about 10 years ago.

No News Is Bad News reproduces a news report on the commissioning of a new search for the MH370 Boeing 737:

Govt greenlights fresh MH370 search mission

Elill Easwaran

-20 Dec 2024, 02:40 PM

Terms for the new search will be finalised in early 2025, says transport minister Loke Siew Fook. 

Ocean Infinity had proposed a new search in a 15,000 sq km area in the southern Indian Ocean. (Ocean Infinity pic)

PUTRAJAYA: The government has agreed to accept UK-based Ocean Infinity’s proposal for a new search mission for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, which disappeared 10 years ago.

Transport minister Loke Siew Fook said the agreement was in principle, reiterating that the search would be based on the “no find, no fee” principle.

This means Putrajaya will not have to pay the company anything unless the aircraft is found.

“The company’s proposal is credible and merits further examination by the government, as the state of registration for MH370.

“The transport ministry is currently negotiating the terms and conditions of the agreement with Ocean Infinity, which is expected to be finalised in early 2025,” he said at a press conference today.

Ocean Infinity had proposed a new search in a 15,000 sq km area in the southern Indian Ocean, based on the latest data analysis.

The disappearance of MH370 remains one of the biggest mysteries in aviation. The plane went missing on March 8, 2014 with 239 people on board, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

In May, Loke said Ocean Infinity’s new search mission would take three months and that it was ready to commence the operation in November.

No News Is Bad News

One of the many useless uninformative media conferences staged by the then Malaysian government and civil aviation officials. Will Anwar ignore the revived issue of a search for the missing MH370 aircraft?

MH370 victims want Anwar to search for missing MAS jet on a ‘no find, no fee’ basis

KUALA LUMPUR, Non 27, 2023: As a Beijing court began hearing MH370 “air crash” victims’ fresh appeal today for compensation, they have also released an open letter to Malaysia’s 10th Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

They are appealing to Anwar’s so-called Madani Unity Government to launch a new search for the missing MAS aircraft on a “no find, no fee” basis.

To date, more than 40 families have filed lawsuits against Malaysia Airlines, the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, engine maker Rolls Royce and Allianz insurance group, state broadcaster CCTV reported.

The MH370 jet vanished on March 8, 2014, carrying 239 people – mostly from China – en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Will Anwar and his UG respond positively to their appeal which also affect Malaysian victims.

No News Is Bad News reproduces below aa AFP news report from Beijing:

Families of MH370 victims in China call for new search

The families released an open letter to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim calling for a new search for the missing Malaysia Airlines aircraft on a ‘no find, no fee’ basis.

AFP - 27 Nov 2023, 7:04pm

Jiang Hui (center) whose mother was on the missing MH370, speaks to journalists in Beijing after a court began compensation hearings. (AP pic)

BEIJING: Relatives of dozens of Chinese passengers on board a Malaysia Airlines plane which disappeared almost 10 years ago today called for a new investigation, as a Beijing court began hearing their fresh appeal for compensation.

The MH370 jet vanished on March 8, 2014, carrying 239 people – mostly from China – en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

More than 40 families have filed lawsuits against Malaysia Airlines, the aircraft manufacturer Boeing, engine maker Rolls Royce and Allianz insurance group, state broadcaster CCTV said.

The families’ litigation requests focus on compensation and finding the truth behind the flight’s disappearance, according to Zhang Qihuai, a lawyer quoted by CCTV.

Hardly any trace of the plane was found in a 120,000-square kilometre Indian Ocean search zone, with only some pieces of debris picked up.

The Australian-led operation, the largest in aviation history, was suspended in January 2017.

The families on Monday released an open letter addressed to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim calling for a new search for the missing aircraft on a “no find, no fee” basis.

“Our family members hope to search for flight MH370 on our own,” the letter said, adding “family members are willing to invest their own money or cooperate with capable individuals and companies”.

They asked for “effective communication” with the Malaysian government to kick off a new hunt.

Outside the court, many relatives were on the verge of tears as they recounted stories of their loved ones, some holding pieces of paper saying “restart the search” and “open, fair, impartial”.

Bao Lanfang lost her son, daughter-in-law and granddaughter in the disaster, and her husband died last year.

“Personally, I do not care about the monetary compensation,” the 71-year-old told the media.

“What I want is that Malaysia Airlines gives me the truth. What happened to our loved ones?

“What I want now is for them to resume the search and the investigation.”

Malaysia’s transport ministry and Malaysia Airlines both declined to comment on the hearings.

China’s foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said Beijing “attaches great importance to the follow-up work” into MH370’s disappearance and “hopes that all parties will continue to maintain close communication”.

‘Unbearable’

It is unclear what jurisdiction the Chinese court has to enforce the claims for compensation against the defendants.

Each family filed for civil compensation of between 10 million yuan (US$1.4 million) and 80 million yuan (US$11.2 million), as well as moral damages of 30 million yuan (US$4.2 million) to 40 million yuan (US$5.6 million), CCTV reported.

The families of more than 110 other passengers have already reached a settlement with the defendants and received between 2.5 million and 3 million yuan, the broadcaster said.

Gathering outside the court despite freezing temperatures, relatives were keen to talk to journalists.

Jiang Hui, whose mother was on flight MH370, said the opening of the hearing was “very comforting, and it is a turning point”.

“The survival of the relatives during these 10 years, the deterioration of their living conditions… This really makes us very sad. So I hope that the legal relief can be realised as soon as possible. It is not difficult,” he said.

“Ten years have really been unbearable for us,” added Jiang.

The hearing was not listed on the court’s public website, but Jiang wrote on social media this month the court hearings would continue until mid-December.

Unsolved mystery

A US exploration firm launched a private hunt for MH370 in 2018, but it ended after several months of scouring the seabed without success.

The disappearance of the plane has long been the subject of a host of theories – ranging from the credible to outlandish – including that veteran pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah had gone rogue.

In 2016, Malaysian officials revealed the pilot had plotted a path over the Indian Ocean on a home flight simulator but stressed this did not prove he deliberately crashed the plane.

A final report into the tragedy released in 2018 pointed to failings by air traffic control and said the course of the plane was changed manually.

But they failed to come up with any firm conclusions, leaving relatives angry and disappointed.

Sunday 26 November 2023

Is MAS learning from past tragedies on safety priority?

 No News Is Bad News

Is MAS learning from past tragedies on safety priority?


KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 27, 2023: Let not the 239 crew and passengers who “perished” in the March 8, 2014 MH370 disappearance be forgotten.

Till today, the authorities have yet to determine the cause of the MAS jet's disappearance, why it disappeared and any negligence on the part of aviation men and officials.

And while Beijing has commenced court proceedings on compensation hearing for Chinese MH370 victims, MAS and Malaysian governments the past decades have remained mum, hoping for all to be forgotten over time.

MAS’ flight services have been blemished not only by this tragedy, but also another air crash - MH17.

MH17 was a scheduled passenger flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur that was shot down by Russian-controlled forces on July, 17, 2014, while flying over eastern Ukraine. All 283 passengers and 15 crew were killed.

MAS still has not admitted its stupidity of saving cost, risking the lives of passengers to fly over a war zone when other international airlines had decided to spend more for safety.

So much to MAS’ constant claims that safety is its top priority.

View the above video clip. A MAS flight was delayed just because Muslim extremists decided to start their prayers on board, thus preventing take-off.

Is that acceptable? Is MAS and civil aviation authorities taking the matter lightly? What happens if every passenger of different creed and religion start doing the same?

Nothing short of chaos for flight schedules, to say the least.

No News Is Bad News reproduces below a news report on the court hearings in Beijing:

Beijing court to begin compensation hearings for Chinese MH370 victims

The jet vanished on March 8, 2014, carrying 239 people en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

AFP - 27 Nov 2023, 10:40am

Hardly any trace of the plane was found in a 120,000sq km Indian Ocean search zone and the operation was suspended in January 2017. (AFP pic)

BEIJING: A Beijing court was on Monday due to begin compensation hearings for the families of Chinese victims who died on Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 which disappeared nearly 10 years ago.

The jet vanished on March 8, 2014, carrying 239 people – mostly from China – en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

Hardly any trace of the plane was found in a 120,000sq km Indian Ocean search zone and the Australian-led operation, the largest in aviation history, was suspended in January 2017.

Some pieces of debris have been picked up across the Indian Ocean.

Jiang Hui, whose mother was on flight MH370, wrote on social media this month that the court hearings would begin Monday at Beijing’s People’s Court in Chaoyang district and continue until mid-December.

Beijing’s state-run China Daily has also reported the hearings, citing Jiang. The hearing was not listed on the court’s public website.

Families of the victims, as well as media, gathered outside the court on Monday morning, AFP reporters saw.

A US exploration firm launched a private hunt for MH370 in 2018, but it ended after several months of scouring the seabed without success.

The disappearance of the plane has long been the subject of a host of theories – ranging from the credible to the outlandish – including that veteran pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah had gone rogue.

In 2016, Malaysian officials revealed the pilot had plotted a path over the Indian Ocean on a home flight simulator but stressed this did not prove that he deliberately crashed the plane.

A final report into the tragedy released in 2018 pointed to failings by air traffic control and said the course of the plane was changed manually.

However, they failed to come up with any firm conclusions, leaving relatives angry and disappointed.

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