Malaysia Airlines MH370: Search vessels prepare for new phase in hunt for missing aircraft

7 Oct 2014 15:40:47

abc.net.au

A new phase in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is set to begin in the Indian Ocean in a matter of days.

The Malaysian-contracted GO Phoenix, the first of three vessels contracted to conduct an underwater search more than 1,500 kilometres off the West Australian coast, is expected to arrive in the area on Sunday.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau said the Phoenix was expected to conduct operations for 12 days before heading to Fremantle to resupply.

The remaining two vessels, The Fugro Discovery and the Fugro Equator, are scheduled to join the search in the coming weeks.

The missing plane disappeared more than six months ago on March 8, just two hours into a six-hour flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

A massive air, sea and underwater search failed to find any wreckage.

Australia contracted Dutch company Fugro to search for MH370 using sonar technology on a vast area of the southern Indian Ocean.

Read full story: abc.net.au