US seabed exploration company Ocean Infinity has offered to undertake a renewed search for missing flight MH370, as victims' families urge the Malaysian government to agree to a private-sector hunt for the wreckage.
Malaysia, Australia and China suspended a nearly three-year search in the southern Indian Ocean in January after scouring 120,000 sq km of remote seabed and failing to find any trace of the Malaysia Airlines plane.
Ocean Infinity said on Friday it remained hopeful Malaysia would accept its offer to continue the search using a team of advanced, fast-moving deep-sea drones fitted with sonar equipment.
"The terms of the offer are confidential but I can ... confirm that Ocean Infinity have offered to take on the economic risk of a renewed search," the company said in an email.
Voice370, a support group for families of the 239 people on board, said under the terms of the offer made in April, Ocean Infinity "would like to be paid a reward if and only if it finds the main debris field".
News that makes sense
Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.
"Why hasn't Malaysia accepted this win-win offer?" Voice370 asked in a statement.
An international board of experts has concluded the Boeing 777 most likely crashed in a 25,000 sq km area on the northern boundary of the last search zone, far southwest of Australia.
But Malaysia, Australia and China agree the newly identified area is too big to justify resuming the publicly funded search, which has already cost $A200 million.
Australia has co-ordinated the search on Malaysia's behalf because the plane crashed in Australia's zone of responsibility on March 8, 2014, after flying off-course on a journey from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
Australian Transport Minister Darren Chester declined to comment on the possibility of a private search.
"Malaysia, as the state of registry for the aircraft, retains overall authority for any future search and any questions regarding possible future search efforts should be directed there," his office said.
"Australia stands ready to assist the Malaysian government in any way it can."
