The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has deployed six aircraft to be involved in today's search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370, said AMSA in a media release Saturday.

It said a Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P3 Orion departed for the search area at about 9am (Australian Eastern Daylight Savings Time) while two ultra long range commercial jets departed for the search area at around 9.15am.

"A second RAAF P3 Orion is scheduled to depart for the search area at 11am. A New Zealand P3 Orion is due to depart for the search area at approximately 1pm.

"A third RAAF P3 Orion aircraft is due to depart for the search area at about 3pm," the release said.

It added that due to the distance, to and from the search area, the P3 Orion aircraft involved will have an endurance period of approximately two hours of search time.

The ultra long range commercial jets have an endurance of approximately five hours of search time, the release added.

AMSA said two merchant vessels were currently in the search area while the Royal Australian Navy HMAS Success was also en route to the search area and due to arrive in the area late this afternoon.

"Four self locating datum marker buoys dropped in the search area earlier this week continue to report water movement data back to AMSA," it said.

The Boeing 777-200ER, which was en route to Beijing carrying 227 passengers and 12 crew on board, went missing about one hour after departing from the KL International Airport at 12.41am, on March 8.

It was scheduled to arrive in Beijing at 6.30am on the same day.