Story highlights Officials: "The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly"

Commercial airliners don't just disappear, support group for families says

(CNN) The decision to end the underwater search for Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 is "nothing short of irresponsible," according to a support group for family members of those who disappeared along with the doomed 777.

Commercial airliners don't just disappear, Voice370 said in a statement, adding that ending the search "betrays a shocking lack of faith in the data, tools and recommendations of an array of official experts assembled by the authorities themselves."

By the numbers 26 -- Countries involved in search 151 -- Estimated cost of search in millions of U.S. dollars 239 -- Crew and passengers on MH370 1,046 -- Days MH370 missing when search ended 6,000 -- Meters deep in parts of the ocean searched 120,000 -- Square kilometers in final search area 4,600,000 -- Square kilometers in original search area Source: Joint Agency Coordination Centre

But Chinese, Australian and Malaysian officials who have overseen the lengthy effort to locate the wreckage since the plane vanished March 8, 2014, said they've done all they can.

It's been more than 1,000 days since MH370 disappeared en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing. The final search area covers 120,000 square kilometers (almost 75,000 square miles) of Indian Ocean.

"The decision to suspend the underwater search has not been taken lightly nor without sadness," their joint statement said.

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