Australia has signalled it opposes resuming the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines MH370 aircraft, despite the nation’s science agency saying fresh analysis makes it increasingly confident of the whereabouts of the plane.

In a move that is likely to place pressure on Australia, Malaysia and China to resume the hunt, Australia’s CSIRO said it has all but confirmed that the plane is in a 9,653 square-mile zone north of the original search zone in the Indian Ocean.

Families of the 239 passengers and crew who were on the missing plane have been demanding the three nations reverse their decision earlier this year to suspend the search.