Search for MH370: Malaysia signs 'no find, no fee' deal with US firm

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The search for the missing MH370 passengers will reopen, as Malaysia signs a 'no find, no fee' deal with a US firm. Using autonomous underwater vehicles, the company believes their technology will allow them to succeed where previous operations failed. CGTN's Jim Spellman has more.

AHMAD JAUHARI YAHY FORMER MALAYSIA AIRLINES CEO Malaysia Airlines confirms that Flight MH370 lost contact with Subang Air Traffic Control.

It's been nearly 4 years since Malaysian Airlines flight 370 disappeared -- beginning one of the most baffling aviation mysteries of our time.

The plane was bound for Beijing from Kuala Lumpur but changed course for unknown reasons and lost contact with air traffic control. Authorities believe MH370 crashed after running out of fuel over the Indian Ocean off the coast of Australia.

Searchers have used planes, boats and underwater vehicles. Floating debris has been found far from where MH370 is thought to crashed, but no sign of the main debris field has been found. The search was officially suspended in early 2017.

But now an American firm will begin a new search on a No find, no fee basis - if they don't find the plane they don't get paid.

LIOW TIONG LAI MALAYSIA TRANSPORT MINISTER "Must find the debris field. The debris field meant it's not just a piece of wreckage, it has to be the plane, the aircraft and or the flight recorder."

Ocean Infinity will use this ship and autonomous underwater vehicles-- AUVs- for the search. If they find the the debris field and flight data recorders in the initial search area within 90 days they will be paid $70 million by the Malaysian government. The company believes their technology will allow them to succeed where previous operations failed.

OLIVER PLUNKETT CEO, OCEAN INFINITY "Our approach based on technology that allows us to deploy 8 AUVs at the same time, allows us to cover the ground much faster, much more effectively."

Families of the 239 people presumed to have died in the crash are hopeful that this new search will give them the answers they want, but are weary of reliving the agony of earlier failed searches.

SHIN KOK CHAU RELATIVE OF MH370 PASSENGER "I feel very happy but, at the same time, very panicked. Whether it can be found or not, it's just like back to four years ago, where we have to wait every day to see whether debris can be found."

JIM SPELLMAN WASHINGTON DC The key item to recover are the flight data and cockpit voice recorders. There are many theories about what happened to the plane ranging from hijacking to mechanical failure or a suicidal pilot, but these are all just conjecture at this point. Authorities hope those recorders contain the answers that will finally end the mystery of flight MH370. JSP CGTN WASHINGTON.