Flight MH370 search continues
china.org.cn / chinagate.cn, March 28, 2014 Adjust font size:
Search and recovery operation in the Australian Search and Rescue Region for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is now underway, said the Australian Maritime Safety Authority in a statement on Friday.
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A Chinese IL-76 aircraft prepares to take off to search for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 at Perth International Airport on March 27, 2014. Three Chinese naval vessels (including two helicopters) and two Chinese IL-76 transport planes have been put into operation in the searching for the mission Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 in the Indian Ocean west of Australia. [Huang Shubo/Xinhua] |
Search activities will involve a total of 10 aircraft. Nine military aircraft will join Friday's search. They include two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P3 Orions, a Republic of Korea P3 Orion, a Republic of Korea C130 Hercules, a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P3 Orion, a Chinese military Ilyushin IL-76, a United States Navy P8 Poseidon aircraft, a Japanese coast guard jet, and a Japanese P3 Orion.
One civil aircraft will act as a communications relay in the search area on Friday.
The first aircraft to leave Perth for the search area was the Chinese Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft about 9am.
The Republic of Korea Hercules C130 departed for the search area about 10am.
The RNZAF P3 Orion is scheduled to depart after 11am, followed by the civil jet acting as communications relay.
The Japan Coast Guard jet is scheduled to depart about 1pm. The Republic of Korea P3 Orion is scheduled to depart about 2pm.
The two RAAF P3 Orion aircraft are scheduled to depart between 1pm and 3pm.
The United States Navy P8 Poseidon and the Japanese P3 Orion are scheduled to depart about 5pm.
A total of five ships have also been tasked to Friday's search.
