Investigation re-opened into missing flight MH370 after previous searches abandoned due to poor weather
The doomed Malaysian Airlines aircraft vanished while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing in March 2014
A fresh investigation into the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 will be launched this month, over a decade after it vanished.
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The Boeing 777 was en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 227 passengers and 12 crew on board when it went missing on March 8, 2014.
Despite multiple search efforts, the wreckage nor any bodies were found and it remains one of the biggest mysteries in aviation history.
The transport ministry for Malaysia confirmed the search will continue on 30 December and while no further leads have emerged, authorities are hoping to refocus their probes in the Indian Ocean after recent searches were abandoned due to poor weather.
Read more: Malaysia agrees to resume ‘no find, no fee’ hunt for flight MH370
The ministry said: "The latest development underscores the government of Malaysia's commitment in providing closure to the families affected by this tragedy.
"The search will be carried out in targeted area assessed to have the highest probability of locating the aircraft," but no precise location for the new search area was disclosed.
Exploration firm Ocean Infinity, who will continue the search, stand to receive $70 million if substantial wreckage is discovered within a 15,000sq km area of the southern Indian Ocean.
Despite numerous extensive search operations conducted over the years, efforts to locate the aircraft have ben unsuccessful.
Ocean Firm will deploy its Armada 7806 which is armed with with state-of-the-art autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs).
Over 30 pieces of suspected debris have been collected along the coast of Africa and on islands in the Indian Ocean, but only three wing fragments were confirmed to be from MH370.
The flight had departed Kuala Lumpur at 12.41am local time on 8 March 2014 on its way to Beijing.
It was last seen on military radar at 2.14am but half an hour later, the airline announced it had lost contact with the flight, which was due to land at its destination about 6.30am.
A report into the disappearance released in 2018 suggested the flight's controls were likely tampered with after its trajectory.
But during investgations, officers were unable to identify anyone responsible. Checks on the captain and co-pilot revealed no suspicious elements in their background, financial affairs, training, or mental health.