KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 ― The underwater search for missing Flight MH370 has been suspended almost three years after its disappearance, making it increasingly likely that the plane may never be found.

Malaysia, China and Australia, which were involved in the search for the Malaysia Airlines plane, said in a joint statement that the last vessel scouring the 120,000-square kilometre search area in the southern Indian Ocean departed today without any results.

"Despite every effort using the best science available, cutting edge technology, as well as modelling and advice from highly skilled professionals who are the best in their field, unfortunately, the search has not been able to locate the aircraft,” said the MH370 Tripartite Joint Communique today that was signed by the transport ministers of the three countries.

"Accordingly, the underwater search for MH370 has been suspended,” it added.

The announcement brought an end to a two-and-a-half-year search by assets deployed by the three countries for the search of the Boeing 777, which disappeared from civilian radars on March 8, 2014, shortly after taking off from Kuala Lumpur en route to Beijing with 239 people on board.

According to the Joint Agency Coordination Centre (JACC) previously that was leading the search, the cost of the underwater search, which began in September 2014, could reach US$200 million (RM 893 million).

The tripartite statement said that the decision to call off the search was not one that was made "lightly”.

"The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness. It is consistent with decisions made by our three countries in the July 2016 Ministerial Tripartite meeting in Putrajaya, Malaysia,” it said.

In July last year, the JACC said that the search would be suspended following the completion of the search in the designated search area, but said that it was not considered an "end” to the search, claiming that new evidence or information would be given its due consideration.

"Whilst combined scientific studies have continued to refine areas of probability, to date no new information has been discovered to determine the specific location of the aircraft,” said the tripartite statement.

"Today’s announcement is significant for our three countries, but more importantly for the family and friends of those on board the aircraft. We again take this opportunity to honour the memory of those who have lost their lives and acknowledge the enormous loss felt by their loved ones.

"We remain hopeful that new information will come to light and that at some point in the future, the aircraft will be located,” it added.