Govt choosing MH370 search contractor

The federal government will trawl through a pile of international tenders to select who will take the next step in the search for missing Malaysia Airlines jet MH370.

Australia last month called for quotes from suitably qualified operators to conduct a seabed search of a vast and newly identified area of the southern Indian Ocean where the plane is believed to be.

The tenders will be reviewed and contract arrangements worked out in the next few weeks, Australian Transport Safety Bureau boss Martin Dolan said on Wednesday.

The government wants the fresh search underway in August.

The 60,000 square kilometre area some 1800km off the West Australian coast, is up to five kilometres deep in some parts and specialised knowledge and equipment will be needed to sweep the sea floor in an operation that could take up to 12 months.

Malaysia has offered to send two vessels to help the contractors, Mr Dolan said.

Mapping of the search area is continuing with one Chinese and one Australian-contracted survey vessel soon to be joined by a Malaysian boat.

Six Australians were among the 239 people on board MH370 when it disappeared on March 8 during a commercial flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

An international search effort has failed to find any trace of the aircraft.

The new search area is based on updated satellite projections.

Aviation experts say the jet was on autopilot when it diverted from its course toward the desolate southern Indian Ocean.