The latest search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been suspended as it is “not the season”, Kuala Lumpur’s transport minister said, more than a decade after the plane went missing.
Search Suspended Due to Weather Conditions
“They have stopped the operation for the time being, they will resume the search at the end of this year,” Transport Minister Anthony Loke said in a voice recording sent to AFP on Thursday (Apr 3) by his aide.
Background of the Disappearance
The Boeing 777 carrying 239 people disappeared from radar screens on March 8, 2014, while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Despite the largest search in aviation history, the plane has not been found.
Previous Searches and Investigations
An initial Australia-led search covered 120,000 square kilometres in the Indian Ocean over three years, but found hardly any trace of the plane other than a few pieces of debris.
Maritime exploration firm Ocean Infinity, based in Britain and the United States, led an unsuccessful hunt in 2018, before agreeing to launch a new search this year.
Theories and Investigations
The plane’s disappearance has long been the subject of theories – ranging from the credible to outlandish – including that veteran pilot Zaharie Ahmad Shah had gone rogue.
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.
Investigators said in the 495-page report that they still did not know why the plane vanished, and refused to rule out that someone other than the pilots had diverted the jet.
Conclusion
The search for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has been suspended due to weather conditions, leaving many unanswered questions about the disappearance of the plane and its passengers.
FAQs
Q: Why was the search for MH370 suspended?
A: The search was suspended due to weather conditions, with Transport Minister Anthony Loke stating that it is “not the season” for the search to continue.
Q: What was the cause of the plane’s disappearance?
A: The cause of the plane’s disappearance is still unknown, with investigators pointing to failings by air traffic control and saying that the course of the plane was changed manually.
Q: Will the search for MH370 continue?
A: Yes, the search for MH370 will resume at the end of the year, according to Transport Minister Anthony Loke.
Q: What is the current status of the investigation?
A: The final report into the tragedy was released in 2018, and investigators have stated that they still do not know why the plane vanished, and refuse to rule out that someone other than the pilots had diverted the jet.
