KUALA LUMPUR – The search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 will be suspended once the current search zone is completed, Malaysia, China and Australia said in a joint statement on Friday.

The aircraft, with 239 aboard, disappeared in March 2014 during a flight from the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumper to Beijing in March 2014.

It’s believed the Boeing 777 turned back and dropped into the Indian Ocean west of Australia, where the search has been concentrated.

“In the absence of new credible evidence, Malaysia, Australia and China have collectively agreed to suspend the search upon completion of the 120,000-km search,” Malaysian transport minister Liow Tiong Lai said.

“I must emphasise that this does mean we are giving up on the search for MH370,” he added, in a statement read out to the media.

The search, originally scheduled to end in June, has been delayed by bad weather, illness and lost equipment.

– TiVi Tuan-san