Malaysian officials have confirmed that the hunt for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will restart on 30 December, more than ten years after the jet carrying 239 passengers and crew disappeared.

Although the renewed operation initially commenced in March, it was halted soon afterward due to severe weather. The transport ministry, quoted in local reports on Wednesday, said that "The latest development underscores the Malaysia's commitment to providing closure to the families affected by this tragedy."

The aircraft, a Boeing 777 traveling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing vanished on 8 March 2014, triggering what became the most extensive aviation search effort in history. Radar data revealed that the plane veered off its scheduled route less than an hour after take-off, and it has remained one of the world’s most perplexing aviation mysteries, prolonging the anguish of families who have long pressed for another search.

The 55-day mission will again be conducted by exploration company Ocean Infinity, operating under a "no find, no fee" contract. Transport Minister Loke Siew Fook previously stated that the firm will be paid $70m (£56m) if it locates the wreckage.

Earlier efforts included a massive international search involving 60 ships and 50 aircraft from 26 nations, which concluded in 2017. Ocean Infinity launched another attempt in 2018, but that mission ended after three months with no success.

The unresolved disappearance has spawned numerous conspiracy theories, ranging from claims of a deliberate act by the pilot to suggestions of a hijacking. A 2018 investigation determined that the aircraft’s controls were probably intentionally manipulated to divert it from its route, though it could not identify who was responsible or why. Investigators stressed then that "the answer can only be conclusive if the wreckage is found."