The search for MH370: ocean exploration company to resume the hunt

A Royal Australian Air Force AP-3C Orion during the initial search for missing airliner MH370. Photo / File

An ocean exploration company is set to resume the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 which vanished in 2014.

The Boeing 777 was en route from Malaysia to Beijing on March 8, 2014 when it disappeared with 238 passengers and crew on board.

Passengers included Christchurch-born father-of-two Paul Weeks and Auckland man Ximin Wang.

It was initially thought that MH370 had crashed in the ocean off Western Australia.

Christchurch man Paul Weeks was one of the passengers on doomed flight MH370 which vanished in 2014. Photograph supplied

But after an exhaustive effort the search there was called off.

Then numerous pieces of debris confirmed to be either "definitely" or "almost certainly" part of the plane were discovered in countries including Mauritius and Tanzania.

In late 2016 international experts identified a new area they believed contained the aircraft.

But on January 17 last year transport ministers from Australia, Malaysia and China confirmed that the underwater search for the aircraft in the southern Indian Ocean had been suspended.

They said it would not resume until there was "new credible evidence".

Families of MH370's Chinese victims revealed today that they had been advised that a new search was imminent.

"The family members of passengers and crew of missing flight MH370 were recently notified by Malaysian authorities of the engagement of ocean exploration company Ocean Infinity to resume the search," they said in statement.

"In a note dated 5 January 2018, next-of-kin were advised the Government of Malaysia has engaged Ocean Infinity to undertake further search operation for MH370 on a 'No Cure No Fee' basis."

Danica Weeks' husband Paul was killed in the MH370 crash, leaving her to raise their two sons alone. Photograph supplied

"China family members note that negotiations around the terms of the search had been ongoing for several months.

"Stakeholders in the search include not only Ocean Infinity and the Malaysian government, but also all family members of the missing passengers and crew, their respective governments, the world's flying public and, indeed, everyone concerned for the victims of MH370's disappearance.

"China family members, therefore, call for the public release of the full terms and conditions negotiated between the Malaysian government and Ocean Infinity."