Overview
- The operation began on December 30 and targets roughly 15,000 square kilometres in the southern Indian Ocean off Australia based on updated satellite and drift analyses.
- Under the agreement, Ocean Infinity is paid only if it locates the wreck, with reports citing a fee of about $70 million.
- The company is deploying a deep‑sea support vessel with autonomous underwater vehicles to map and scan the seabed with higher‑resolution sonar.
- A previous 2018 search failed to find the main wreckage, and an attempt resumed in early 2025 was suspended in April because of poor weather.
- Families continue to press for answers as legal cases proceed, including a December 8 Beijing ruling awarding compensation to eight families of missing passengers.