The first of five aircraft sent out to the southern Indian Ocean where debris has been spotted on satellite imagery has reported no sightings of the elusive objects despite favourable weather, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority says.
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A video update on the search for missing flight MH370 from the general manager of AMSA's Emergency Response Division, John Young, was posted on YouTube just a short time ago.
In the video, Mr Young said five aircraft are involved in the search on Friday, including three RAAF P-3 Orions, a US P-8 Poseidon and "a long-range corporate jet as a visual search aircraft with state emergency service observers aboard".
The first of the five has returned. Two are currently in the search area, one is almost there and the fifth will arrive within hours.
The last will leave the search area by 10pm, Sydney time.
The first plane was yet to spot the debris, Mr Young said. But the weather was better than it was yesterday.
"That's encouraging. We have no sightings yet," he said.
"Although this search area is much smaller than we started with, it nonetheless is a big area when you're looking out the window and trying to see something by eye.
"We may have to do this a few times to be confident."
Mr Young said the focus of the international search effort, which is being co-ordinated by AMSA, was on finding people alive.
"We're still focused on that task - of finding people to be rescued," he said.
"We remain focused on finding people alive if they're to be found – and that's tomorrow's game."
The search, when it resumes on Saturday, will follow the movement of the water.
"We will be looking to see whether we can acquire more satellite imagery that would provide us with new or refined information," Mr Young said.
"We want to find these objects because they are the best lead to where we might find people to be rescued."
