MH370 kin pleads for rich countries and firms to help in search

KUALA LUMPUR — As a year-long hunt for Malaysia Airlines’ Flight MH370 remains fruitless, the families of its passengers and crew today (April 18) pleaded for rich countries and private companies to help speed up the search for answers.

Voice370, the group representing the families of those aboard the missing plane, said it appreciated the recent declaration by three nations — Malaysia, Australia and China — to double the search area if the plane is still not found within the current 60,000 sq km area of the southern Indian Ocean.

But Voice370 noted that harsh weather conditions during winter are expected to slow down the search, while the expanded search may take another year.

“We have waited an agonisingly long time,” the group told Malay Mail Online in an email response, acknowledging that there are limits to the three nations’ resources for the “enormous” task ahead.

“Therefore, once again, we appeal to all nations, especially the prosperous ones, as well as those with commercially active aviation industries to come forward with support.

“We would also like naval powers to assist in the search activities so that a larger area can be covered in a quicker amount of time,” the group said.

Voice370 said it hoped to see companies who are “dependent on the aviation industry for their prosperity to contribute towards the search”.

Dutch firm Fugro NV is currently under a US$41 million (S$55.2 million) contract to complete an underwater search for MH370 in a search zone of 60,000 sq km by this May. To date, 61 per cent of the search area has been scoured.

Questions have been raised on Fugro’s alleged lack of experience, but Australia’s Transport Minister Warren Truss said this Thursday that the firm was doing an excellent job with the “best equipment in the world” and had managed to deliver results, despite the challenging search conditions.

Voice370 said today that the family members are not technical experts and will accept Australia’s reassurance.

“We NOKs are not technical experts. If Australia says that’s the best there is, we will accept it at face value in good faith,” it said, using the initials for the next-of-kin (NOK).

“We appreciate the fact that the slow-going is to ensure the thoroughness of the search. We accept the slow-going pace is in fact to ensure that a significant indication is not missed,” it added.

Following a tripartite meeting between Malaysia, Australia and China on Thursday, the three countries’ transport ministers announced the planned extended search that would chalk up the entire search area to 120,000 sq km.

The ministers said that “all high-probability search areas” where the plane is most likely to be located would be covered by the end of the extended scouring of the additional 60,000 sq km.

The search is jointly funded by Australia and Malaysia, with both splitting the A$120 million (S$125.7 million) pledged so far, while the expanded search is expected to cost an additional A$50 million.

The commercial jet used for Flight MH370 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014 with 239 people on board.

On January 29 this year, the Malaysian government declared the loss of Flight MH370 as an accident under international aviation regulations. MALAY MAIL ONLINE