SEPANG: The search for missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 will only stop after 120,000 square kilometres of search area have been covered and not after the current 60,000 square kilometres as reported, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said.
He said reports on the Australian-led Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) saying it would not be expanding the hunt for MH370 beyond its current search area unless there are specific new leads were untrue.
"Perhaps there is some miscommunication on the matter, as it has been agreed by the tripartite from Malaysia, Australia and the People's Republic of China that we would continue another 60,000 square kilometres after the current search area if no leads are found.
"Only after the second 60,000 square kilometres is found to be inconclusive we would stop and get the experts back on board to relook at the data," he said after launching the Malindo Air new in-flight connectivity services, Malindo WiFi and Malindo Mobile at Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2, here, today.
On Wednesday, it was reported that in the absence of credible new information that leads to the identification of a specific location of the aircraft, the governments involved in the search have agreed there would be no further expansion of the search area the JACC said.
It has been more than a year since the plane went missing on March 8 last year without a trace en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew.