Relatives of some of the passengers on board the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 have begun filing compensation claims as the head of the search reveals he is confident the wreckage will be found this year.
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He said he attended a service in Malaysia a year ago on the first anniversary of the plane’s disappearance, and that his trip back here for the second anniversary was planned before his discovery of the plane part in Mozambique.
Hopes were renewed last week after debris that may have come from the plane was found on the coast of Mozambique.
Aviation and technology experts around the world proposed a series of changes in procedures and equipment to better track planes, especially those that are in trouble.
The disappearance of the Boeing 777-200ER was unprecedented and the search for it has been the most challenging in aviation history.
The total compensation requested from Malaysia Airlines, Boeing, engine manufacturer Rolls Royce and insurance companies ranged between 10 and 70 million yuan ($1.5 million to $10.8 million) per family, he said.
The debris found on a Mozambican beach is a piece of metal of about one metre in length.
Zhang Qihuai, an aviation lawyer from Beijing representing some of the families in China, told Agence France-Presse that many had been “deeply conflicted” over the decision to sue.
It is hoped if the debris is from MH370, it could offer new clues over how the plane crashed.
As the search continues, families of passengers aboard the plane are rushing to file lawsuits prior to a two-year deadline, specified by global treaty, Monday.
Australian, Malaysian and Chinese authorities plan to end the search – projected to cost up to $130 million – at that point if no compelling new leads pointing to an actual crash site emerge.
The requirements for the one-minute tracking and flight recorder data are performance-based, meaning individual airlines and plane-makers can choose the best option for them, from among existing and emerging technologies, ICAO said.
Dr Mohd Harridon said, in addition to these two theories, investigators might try to look for the remote theory control airplane where the plane was controlled from the outside and, therefore, they needed to make new mathematical calculation arrangements to trace the speed and possible whereabouts of the plane.
Wang Zhuncai whose daughter was aboard Malaysia Airlines flight MH370. Misshapen and irreversibly sweat-stained from constant wear, his white T-shirt is emblazoned with a poignant reminder of his 34-year-old son: “Pray for the safe return of MH370”.
Other family members say they were not happy with the terms offered by the airline.
“But we know that neither the passage of time, nor this evidence, will comfort those whose grief can not be assuaged”, he said.
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Authorities have said the search will not be extended beyond June if no credible information is uncovered.
