The search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has concluded unsuccessfully nearly three years after the aircraft disappeared, the Australian government’s Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) said Tuesday.
“Despite every effort using the best science available … unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft,” JACC said in a statement.
The JACC has been leading the MH370 search operation alongside Malaysia and China.
“Today the last search vessel has left the underwater search area. Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 has not been located in the 120,000 square-kilometre [46,332 square miles] underwater search area in the southern Indian Ocean,” it stated.
Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, disappeared from radar screens on March 8, 2014, less than an hour after takeoff. There were 227 passengers and 12 crew members on board the Boeing 777 aircraft.
“The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness,” JACC said.
