Mr Sala and pilot David Ibbotson were on board a Piper PA-46 Malibu plane which disappeared over the Channel Islands while en route from Nantes in Brittany to Cardiff on Monday evening.
Despite a major search operation involving numerous vessels, the Channel Islands Air Search plane and aircraft from France and the UK, no wreckage has been found.
The search stretched from the area north of Alderney to the north coast of Jersey.
Announcing the decision to end the search, Guernsey Harbourmaster Captain David Barker said: ‘Despite the best efforts of air and sea search assets from the Channel Islands, UK and France, which has covered an area of approximately 1,700 sq miles – with a significant amount of this searched more than once – and having examined mobile phone data and satellite imagery, we have been unable to find any trace of the aircraft, the pilot or the passenger.
‘There has been over 24 hours of continuous searching, with 80 hours’ combined flying time across three planes and five helicopters. Two lifeboats have also been involved, as well as assistance from various passing ships and fishing boats.
‘We reviewed all the information available to us, as well as knowing what emergency equipment was on board, and have taken the difficult decision to end the search. The chances of survival at this stage are extremely remote.’
According to Guernsey Police, the single turbine engine aircraft departed Nantes at 7.15pm on Monday for the Welsh capital and was flying at an altitude of 5,000ft.
On passing Guernsey it ‘requested descent’, but Jersey air traffic control lost contact with the plane while it was flying at 2,300ft.
Cardiff’s chief executive, Ken Choo, described Sala as a ‘great person’ and revealed that the player had described joining the Premier League club as ‘one of the best days of his life’.
