[Peetwo]

MH370: Australia has no plans to abandon search  


Brendan Nicholson

Defence Editor
Canberra



The MH370 search vessel Go Phoenix. Source: Supplied



TRANSPORT Minister Warren Truss has insisted that Australia, China and Malaysia have no plans to abandon the search for the missing Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370 off Western Australia.  

Mr Truss’s spokesman issued a statement today denying that the three nations were discussing calling off the search.
“Discussion are not under way to call off the search,” the spokesman said.

“Discussions are ongoing about the search.”

Reuters new agency had quoted Mr Truss as saying the search could not go on forever and discussions were already being held with China and Malaysia about whether to call the search off within weeks.

MH370 and its 239 passengers and crew vanished on March 8 last year while on a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

No trace of the aircraft or those aboard has been found.

Mr Truss’s spokesman said that with more than 40 per cent of the 60,000 square kilometre priority area searched so far, the government remained cautiously optimistic about finding the aircraft.

“If, however, the plane is not found at the completion of the search, expected around May 2015, then discussions will be had between Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia and potentially others on the next steps,” the spokesman said.

“But to be clear. We are not in discussions to call off the search.”

 
And so ends (until next time) the Chinese whisper trail...