Resumed MH370 search gains momentum

The resumed hunt for the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 is gaining momentum, with a second ship expected to arrive in the newly-refined search area in coming days.

The vessel GO Phoenix arrived in the southern Indian Ocean search area off the West Australian coast on Monday and began looking for the downed Boeing 777 using side scan sonar technology.

It is expected to continue scanning for about 12 days before sailing to Fremantle to be resupplied.

Conditions in the area are expected to be good for the next four days, the Australian Transport Safety Bureau said on Wednesday.

The second ship to join the search will be the Fugro Discovery that arrived at Fremantle on Sunday.

Search equipment and a mission crew are being mobilised ahead of the ship's planned departure on Saturday.

Fugro Equator, the vessel currently being used to survey the search area, is expected to join the hunt when its sea floor mapping work is complete about the end of this month.

The search area is further south than where MH370 was originally thought to have run out of fuel and may be adjusted further, with refinements to end-of-flight scenarios and satellite data analysis still underway.

"This area is intended to be the focus of activities for the initial deployment of the underwater search assets," the ATSB said.

MH370 disappeared with 239 people on board during its March 8 flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.