Six countries - Australia, New Zealand, the US, Japan, China and South Korea - are participating in the search operation in the area 2,500 km southwest of Perth, the capital of Western Australia state.
"A total of seven military and five civil aircraft will be involved in today's search activities,” the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) said in a statement. The search was suspended Tuesday due to adverse weather conditions.
While one Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft from China departed Perth around 8 a.m. for the search area, a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P3 Orion aircraft departed for the area around 9.10 a.m.
A Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P3 Orion was scheduled to depart Perth around 11 a.m., a US Navy P8 Poseidon around 2 p.m., a Japanese P3 Orion around 3 p.m., a second RAAF P3 Orion around 4 p.m., and South Korean P3 Orion around 5 p.m.
“Two civil aircraft have now departed Perth for the search area. The remaining three civil aircraft will depart for the search area between 10 a.m. and midday,” the AMSA statement said.
A total of 34 State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers from Western Australia will be air observers on board the five civil aircraft.
The Royal Australian Navy's HMAS Success and China's polar supply ship Xue Long are also in the search area.
Updated on: March 26, 2014 18:20 IST
