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Teams have already searched a 120,000 square kilometre area. Alan Porritt/PA Images

The search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is back on

A private US firm has departed from South Africa into the Indian Ocean.

MALAYSIA HAS AGREED to allow a US exploration firm to resume the hunt for flight MH370, a year after the search was suspended.

The news came after the company, Ocean Infinity, said this week it had already dispatched a research vessel towards the expected search zone as it believed a deal would be finalised imminently.

The Malaysia Airlines jet disappeared in March 2014 with 239 people — mostly from China — on board en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, triggering one of the world’s greatest aviation mysteries.

No sign of the plane was found in a 120,000 square kilometre search zone selected by satellite analysis of the jet’s likely trajectory.

The Australian-led sea search, the largest in aviation history, was suspended in January last year.

But Malaysian Transport Minister Liow Tiong Lai has now that an agreement has been made with the US firm, adding the deal was on a “no find, no fee” basis.

“It is our duty to look for answers and the plane, and as of today the government has decided to go ahead with the search,” he said.

He added that a contract would be signed next week in Kuala Lumpur.

News of the decision was also sent to relatives of those on board the doomed jet.

The message, seen by AFP, said: “The MH370 Response Team wishes to note that the Government of Malaysia has engaged Ocean Infinity to undertake further search operation for MH370″.

Norwegian research vessel Seabed Constructor, leased by Ocean Infinity for the search, set off from South Africa this month for the southern Indian Ocean, where MH370 is believed to have disappeared.

The firm wants to start the hunt during a period of good weather expected in January and February. The vessel is carrying several autonomous submarines which can be launched from the ship to scour the seabed for the jet.

Ocean Infinity has not given details of the new search area.

But Australia’s national science body released a report in April suggesting the doomed plane was “most likely” north of the former search zone in an area of approximately 25,000 square kilometres.

Only three confirmed fragments of MH370 have been found, all of them on western Indian Ocean shores, including a two-metre wing part known as a flaperon.

© – AFP 2018

Read: Three years ago MH370 went missing and still hasn’t been found >

Read: ‘Presumed dead’: The plane that vanished into thin air with 239 people on board >

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    Mute Noel James Doherty
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    Jan 6th 2018, 11:36 AM

    The mystery continues & the families grief goes on

    125
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    Mute P.J. Nolan
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    Jan 6th 2018, 11:37 AM

    @Noel James Doherty:
    And no doubt the conspiracy theories will grow even more outlandish unfortunately

    53
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    Mute Mick Power
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    Jan 6th 2018, 12:10 PM

    @P.J. Nolan: does anyone else remember Frank?

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    Mute Tommy Roche
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    Jan 6th 2018, 12:18 PM

    @P.J. Nolan: Ah c’mon PJ. The plane was landed on Diego Garcia by aliens using remote controls. All the passengers were later served up for dinner to the lizard people at a Bilderburg meeting. You can’t plot the New World Order on an empty stomach, and apparently the Illuminati like a good Chinese as much as anyone else. It’s all so obvious when you put on the tinfoil hat and think about it.

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    Mute Frank's Cat
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    Jan 6th 2018, 12:18 PM

    @Mick Power: We do not speak of Frank.

    28
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    Mute Onion Knight
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    Jan 6th 2018, 4:43 PM

    @Mick Power: miss old frank. The number thing was impressive to say the least.

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    Mute Paul Furey
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    Jan 6th 2018, 4:47 PM

    @Onion Knight: I’d say he’s still lurking out there….somewhere….waiting……

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    Mute Tomas
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    Jan 6th 2018, 1:56 PM

    No find ,no fee is the key it will not be found…modern planes dont go missing unless you want them to..

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    Mute Walt Jabsco
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    Jan 6th 2018, 4:04 PM

    @Tomas: Yes they do, it’s happened several times prior to this.

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    Mute beni gabor
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    Jan 6th 2018, 1:54 PM

    Why would they look at sea? Don’t they know airplanes go in the sky????? It probably just hasn’t landed yet

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    Mute Walt Jabsco
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    Jan 6th 2018, 4:03 PM

    @beni gabor:
    They probably ran out of fuel and haven’t been able to get back down….

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    Mute Mick Jordan
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    Jan 6th 2018, 12:51 PM

    The virtual needle in the haystack

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    Mute Michael cunnane
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    Jan 6th 2018, 3:34 PM

    needle and haystack .Find haystack first

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    Mute Shakil Khan
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    Apr 29th 2019, 11:24 PM

    hello people of the world, life is so easy when you enjoy the benefit of the earth, people choose to live a life of suffering and oppression, because they are ignorance of what is happening in the world, this is an opportunity given to those who want to change their status and live a comfortable life, why are you suffering when you no you can become a (billionaires dollars.) did you need riches, famous,powers, you can achieve all this within a short time, if you are willing to join the (ILLUMINATI BROTHERHOOD) contact, (LORDMASTER) in Europe headquarters
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    Mute eamonn Carroll
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    Jan 6th 2018, 1:23 PM

    Send out your man from the chill insurance ad he is good at finding needles in haystack

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