Editor’s Note: Watch “Vanished: The Mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370” Friday at 9 p.m. ET.
Story highlights
Ahead of one year anniversary, search chief says he's confident Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 will eventually be found
Not all share Martin Dolan's optimism
Families angry at the lack of information concerning their loved ones lost on board
Australia’s transport safety chief has always described himself as a pessimist.
But Martin Dolan, Chief Commissioner of the Australian Transport Safety Bureau, says that as search teams scour the depths of the Indian Ocean for any sign of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370, he is confident they will find the plane, if the aircraft is in the areas where they are looking.
“If anything, I’m slightly more optimistic than six months ago, because we have more confidence in the data, and we have proven the search equipment and techniques work to the necessary standards,” Dolan said.
But as the first anniversary of MH370’s disappearance approaches, with no trace of the missing plane found, not everyone shares his outlook.
Vanished without a trace
That includes many of the relatives of the 239 passengers and crew on board, who say not a single day goes by without wondering what happened to their loved ones.
And for many, the decision in late January by Malaysia to officially declare MH370 an accident, enabling the insurance payout process to begin in accordance with international protocol, was painfully premature.
“How can they say that, when there is no proof that the plane has crashed?” asked Wen Wang Cheng, whose son Wen Yung Sheng was one of 153 Chinese nationals on board. “We have to get the facts,” Wen said.