Despite the most recent tragedy concerning Malaysia Airlines flight MH17, authorities say they will continue to investigate the disappearance of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.
On March 8, 227 passengers and 12 crew members aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 went missing along with the Boeing 777 aircraft less than an hour after it took off from Kuala Lumpur International Airport enroute to Beijing, China.
Several nations participated in the search effort to investigate the incident, making it the most expensive and expansive in the history of aviation.
On July 6, Malaysia's Minister of Defense, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, released a statement regarding updates on the search operations of the missing aircraft.
"It has been 121 days since MH370 went missing. Almost 4 months have passed since the Malaysian Government first coordinated the search operations for the missing plane. As I have said previously, we are fortunate not to be alone in this and I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the 26 nations and especially our Tripartite partners - Australia and China for their commitment to locate the missing MH370. This is truly an international effort and the search is a powerful example of international co-operation."
"Malaysia remains committed in the search for MH370. It must be stressed that Malaysia, together with Australia and China are doing our utmost in the search and our top priority remains to look for the missing MH370 and giving closure to the families of those on board MH370."
The prolonged search for the fate of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 drained an estimated $60 million of international funding-and there are still no certain answers.
Last June, Australian officials released a report stating that passengers and crew of MH370 most likely died from suffocation and crashed into the ocean while on autopilot.
"It is highly, highly likely that the aircraft was on autopilot, otherwise it could not have followed the orderly path that had been identified through the satellite's sightings," Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss told reporters.
The theory was based on the plane's steady altitude, loss of radio communications, and other factors, and "appeared to best fit the available evidence for the final period of MH370's flight," the Wall Street Journal reported, referencing prior occasions where crews had become unresponsive due to hypoxia.
The search for the missing plane will resume in August, and families and authorities are optimistic that the devastating mystery will be solved.
