MH370: New phase to include private contractors, may cost $60 million

"I regret to say that thus far none of our efforts in the air, on the surface or under sea, have found any wreckage," he said. The new phase will focus on searching the ocean floor over a much larger area -- 60,000 square kilometers, a process that will take about six to eight months, CNN reports. "We do not want this crippling cloud of uncertainty to hang over this family and the wider traveling public," he said. It is "highly unlikely" that any debris will be found on the ocean surface, Abbott said. By this time, most of the debris will have become waterlogged and will have submerged, he said. As such, authorities will be suspending aerial searches. Words of praise Malaysia's government has been widely criticized over its handling of the search for missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 and disclosures of its investigations. But on Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama had words of praise during a visit to the southeast Asian country. He said the Malaysian government has been "forthcoming" with the United States about the information it has. "The Malaysian government is working tirelessly to recover the aircraft and investigate exactly what happened," Obama told reporters. He reiterated that the United States would continue to aid in the search and offered condolences to loved ones of those lost. Narrowed search nears end Obama's visit came as the initial search by the Bluefin-21 neared its end. The submersible, which is on contract to the U.S. Navy, had been scouring the ocean floor for traces of the plane. Previously, another device, a towed pinger locator, detected signals that officials believed were from the jet's flight recorders, which determined the current search area for the Bluefin. The plane disappeared on March 8 after leaving Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, for Beijing. Details also at