Australia's search area for MH370 could be narrowed following Reunion debris discovery

The government body coordinating Australia's search efforts for missing jetliner MH370 has said new evidence could narrow down the search area for the wreckage.

Australia's Joint Agency Coordination Center (JACC) confirmed that Australia remains committed to the search for the missing Boeing 777, nearly 18 months after it went missing in March 2014.

A spokesperson for the JACC told Xinhua on Tuesday that debris that washed up on Reunion last week was currently being analyzed by French authorities, and any information would help refine the search area, which currently covers a 120,000 square-kilometer strip in the southern Indian Ocean.

The spokesperson said if the wreckage was confirmed to be from MH370 they could use oceanographer's models to narrow down the areas being searched.

"Any new information that comes to hand that might help refine the search area will be incorporated into search planning," the spokesperson told Xinhua.

"(But) all information is analyzed to further inform ongoing search efforts."

Last week, Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization oceanographer Dr David Griffin told Xinhua the new debris being found on Reunion was the best indication the jet crashed in Australia's search area.

"The Indian Ocean has a generally eastward movement in the south, south of Perth, but then it goes westward north of tropical Australia," he told Xinhua.

"So where we think the plane went down, we think debris would have initially gone northward (along the coast of Australia) before being caught in the westward current.

"It then gets caught on a line around 30 degrees south, which ends up slightly south of Reunion."

The JACC confirmed on Tuesday that search efforts would increase as the weather continues to improve, as current winter swells are slowing progress.

"Vessels are working in the search area round the clock during the winter months and so far about half the priority search area has been examined," they said.

"With the onset of better weather in spring, it is expected the progress of the search will be quicker."

The JACC said the Australian government was working closely with the Malaysian government which ultimately has "overall" duty of care regarding the search for the airplane.

"The JACC will continue to coordinate the Australian government 's support for the search into missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370," the spokesperson told Xinhua.

"In doing so, the JACC will continue to work closely with the government of Malaysia, which under international law has overall responsibility for the search and investigation."

MH370 was a scheduled Malaysia Airlines flight bound for Beijing from Kuala Lumpur on March 8, 2014.

The Boeing 777 was carrying 239 people, mostly from China, when it lost contact with air traffic control.

Since March 17, 2014, the Australian search effort has focused primarily in the Indian Ocean. Endi