MH370: Australian plane reaches search area

The RAAF P3 Orion which was deployed by the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) has now arrived at the search area for the missing Malaysia Airlines (MAS) flight MH370.

The search in the Indian Ocean will then be boosted with a civil Gulfstream jet, two other RAAF P3 Orion aircrafts and a P8 Poseidon aircraft belonging to the United States Navy.

They will all head to the area where a satellite image showed two large objects floating about 2,300 kilometres southwest of Perth.

Location where the objects were detected by satellite in the southern Indian Ocean.

China meanwhile will be sending three warships to join the search, its government said, but gave no indication when they might arrive at the remote site.

Earlier Chinese news reports said the ship – the Kunlunshan, the Haikou and the Qiandaohu – were searching near the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Australia’s National Maritime Search and Rescue Centre said on Friday, a fourth Chinese vessel, the icebreaker Snow Dragon, is in the western Australian port of Perth following a trip to Antarctica and might join the search.

"Since the plane lost contact, our hearts have been with the lives of the people from different countries on board the plane, including 154 Chinese and six Australians," Xi was quoted as saying by Xinhua news agency.

Xi said full efforts should be made as long as there was a glimmer of hope, despite the difficulties searching the remote area.