KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 ― The second search phase for Flight MH370 will likely cost around A$50 million (RM141 million), Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said today.
The additional cost is expected to be split between Australia and Malaysia.
“We are estimating maybe about (A$)50 million or so for the next phase,” he told reporters here.
Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss said the lower estimated cost was due to reduced mobilisation costs of search equipment that was already located nearby.
China's transport minister, Yang Chuantang, was also present during today’s joint press conference.
When asked about China’s planned contributions to the search efforts, Yang said the country,which had the largest number of nationals on board MH370, will continue to send experts for data analysis and aid in communications with the next of kin.
Yang also said China will be contributing search assets and vessels, besides modifying vessels to suit the requirements of the expanded phase.
A tripartite meeting was held earlier today between Malaysia and search partners China and Australia to discuss the hunt's status after the May deadline as a year-long search failed to yield any leads.
All three nations agreed today to double the search area by an additional 60,000 square kilometres to bring it to a total of 120,000 square kilometres if the aircraft is not found within the current zone.
MH370 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014 with 239 people on board.
On January 29 this year, the Malaysian government declared MH370 as an air accident under international aviation regulations.
Yesterday, the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) said in an operational update that more than 60 percent of the priority search area has been searched, adding that the current underwater search area may be largely completed around the search deadline of May if there are no delays.
The search is jointly funded by Australia and Malaysia, with both splitting the A$120 million pledged so far.
