Transport authorities say they are cautiously optimistic a new underwater search for missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 will find the wreckage.
The hunt for missing Malaysia Airlines flight 370 has resumed after a four month hiatus.
The Perth-owned, Malaysian government-hired, GO Phoenix search vessel has begun 12 days of sonar surveys in the zone about 1,800 kilometres west of Australia.
Two more vessels provided by Dutch contractor Fugro will join the search in coming days.
The Australian Transport Safety Bureau's Martin Dolan told SBS there are many challenges, but he’s cautiously optimistic the jet will be found.
"The undersea terrain is very complex. There's mountains, ridges and a whole range of unexpected features which will put challenges in the way of the search and may mean we have to review the techniques that we're using for searching and adapt them,” he said.
“The weather will remain a challenge from time to time, although we're now moving into the southern hemisphere summer and the weather is generally better in those circumstances. And we are covering an area that is unprecedented in its scale so we're in essentially unknown territory here.
“So they're the sorts of things that leave us cautious about the prospects for success but we remain optimistic that we will succeed."
The Fremantle Port Authority says the Fugro Discovery has arrived at Fremantle and is expected to join the Indian Ocean search for MH370 later this week.
The Fugro Discovery has had fit-out work done in Durban, South Africa and will have search equipment and a mission crew mobilised over the next few days.
Fugro Equator is likely to be used as a search vessel when its bathymetric work finishes later this month.
MH370 disappeared with 239 people on board during its March 8 flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.
- with AAP
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