Search for MH370 flight continues

suDebris in the form of a 2m aircraft wing piece, known as a flaparon, was discovered earlier this year on the French island of La Réunion off Madagascar, around 4,000km from the official search zone off Australia’s west coast. Two more pieces of debris have also been washed up in the Maldives and are waiting to be tested.

Since the aircraft went missing with its 239 passengers and crew on the night of 8 March 2014, Dutch company Fugro has been part of the search activities co-funded by the Australian and Malaysian governments. The subsea surveying company has been using its research vessels Fugro Discovery and Fugro Equator for the search, as well as a new 70m full ocean-depth multipurpose survey vessel, Fugro Supporter, delivered earlier this year.

Rob Luijnenburg, spokesperson for Fugro, told Maritime Journal: “Fugro still has two vessels actively working on the search. The vessels are now almost finished with the first 60,000 sq km priority zone. That zone has been extended by the Australia Transport Safety Bureau, made bigger by another 60,000 sq km.”

“How long the search will take in the now extended zone depends on weather conditions and whether we need to deploy any more vessels to help with the search. The Bureau expects the whole search to be completed by March 2016, providing nothing is found,” he added.

It is understood that the recent findings and their location was consistent with other analysis, with data suggesting the resting place of the aircraft is in the Southern Indian Ocean.

By Rachael Doyle