Earhart Expedition Postponed

I somehow missed this news, but as it turns out, the expedition to locate Amelia Earhart’s plane has been postponed to the coming year. It seems that bureaucracy on the side of the Kiribati government is to blame. This delay has pushed the departure into the season of cyclones in the South Pacific, which would make it unsafe for the expedition to leave now. Interestingly, cyclone activity is what has uncovered the object in the lagoon that is of interest to the expedition in the first place.

In a statement on 27 October, Purdue University, which is organising the expedition, said:

Originally scheduled to launch from Majuro in the Marshall Islands on Nov. 4, the expedition was delayed as the team continues to work through additional stages of the permit approval process with the Kiribati government. A safe departure cannot be later in 2025 with the onset of the South Pacific cyclone season.

The team will continue positive engagement with Kiribati, with plans to go to Nikumaroro as soon as possible and when safe to do so. The plan will remain unchanged: A field team will depart the Marshall Islands and travel by sea for six days to Nikumaroro to confirm whether the visual anomaly seen in satellite and other imagery in the island’s lagoon is what remains of Earhart’s Lockheed Electra 10-E.

“Maritime expeditions require thorough preparation and numerous clearances. Our project required many approvals at multiple levels of the Kiribati government, and we benefited from cooperation and assistance from officials in Tarawa,” said expedition member Steve Schultz, Purdue University’s senior vice president and general counsel. “This is a real-time example of Purdue’s well-known ‘persistent pursuit.’ We have gained valuable insights throughout this process and are very confident and resolved to continue this quest with a planned 2026 departure.”