It was 12 months ago today that Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 disappeared from the skies over the Malaysian Peninsula - leaving no trace.
A year later, it still sounds impossible: A sophisticated $270 million airliner carrying 239 people disappears, leaving very few clues about where it went.
The search cannot go on forever. News reports indicate that discussions are already under way between Australia, China and Malaysia as to whether to call off the hunt within the next week.
Does the anniversary of its disappearance provide a opportune time to stop searching? With the estimated search costs to date exceeding AUD$120 million is it time to invest that time and money into other ways to make airline travel safer? Could an appropriate memorial be made to the lives lost and then the chapter be closed?
On the other hand, is the fact that an airliner can disappear for no known reason mean that extraordinary lengths should be taken to locate the plane and solve the mystery to ensure future travellers are not exposed to the same fate as the 239 onboard?
How do we balance costs of looking with the costs of not knowing?
Should the search stop now or continue?
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It is proposed that no further efforts should be made to locate missing flight MH370