Reward offered for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370
Crews have spent three years searching a 46,000-square mile zone west of Australia but have failed to find the body of the plane.
Friday 20 January 2017 01:47, UK
Malaysia has offered a reward to help find missing flight MH370 - just days after abandoning its three-year search.
Any private company able to find the main body of the Boeing 777 will be rewarded by the Malaysian government, although a specific figure has yet to be specified.
The aircraft disappeared in March 2014 as it was travelling from Kuala Lumpur with 239 people on board. Most of the passengers were from China.
Malaysian deputy transport minister Abdul Aziz Kaprawi said: "All costs must be borne by them. We will only reward them if they are successful."
Australia, Malaysia and China undertook a fruitless search of the 46,000-square mile zone west of Australia, at a cost of £133m.
However, despite the use of cutting-edge technology and advice from skilled professionals, the hunt was not able to locate the aircraft.
The only discovery to date has been part of the plane's wing, found on Reunion Island in July 2015.
As many as 30 objects either confirmed or believed to be from the jet have also washed ashore on beaches in Mauritius, Mozambique, Madagascar and Tanzania.
Relatives of those on board were angered by the suspension of the co-ordinated search, and have repeatedly asked the government to extend the scope of the investigation.
Some relatives even travelled to Madagascar to .
However, unless new evidence emerges that pinpoints MH370's specific location, the official aviation search for the plane will not be resumed.
Various theories over the cause of the crash have been put forward, including a fire on board, hijacking or terror plot, rogue pilot action and mechanical or structural failure.