More On Malaysia Airlines Flight 370

Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 disappeared over five months ago, and there is still no trace of it. The search continues though. Australian officials announced on Wednesday that it has retained a private Dutch company, Fugro, to search for the wreckage. Fugro is reportedly one of the world’s largest oil and gas service firms and has the ships required for a lengthy search operation.

The next phase of the search is slated to start in September, and is expected to last 300 days. Details are still being hammered out, but the anticipated underwater search area will encompass 60,000 square kilometers. The estimated cost for the search approaches $50 million, and it’s still unclear which countries will contribute and in what amounts.

But, as vast as the search area is, will the search teams even be looking in the right place? The prior changes to the search area, along with questions about how the satellite data has been interpreted, certainly raise doubt. Plus, those analyzing where to search necessarily make some assumption, some of which may prove to be incorrect. Obviously though, the search must continue.