Sonar contacts not related to MH370

Australian authorities have dismissed reports that sonar images of two box-like shapes on the floor of the Indian Ocean could be from the missing MH370 airliner.

A spokesman for Transport Minister Warren Truss has confirmed the objects are not from the Boeing 777, which vanished last year on route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing and is believed to have crashed in the Indian Ocean.

"These are old images, discounted months ago," the spokesman said.

The reports published by some media outlets on Thursday had described "category 3" sonar finds as being the most likely to be aircraft debris.

"In fact, they are the least likely to be aircraft debris," the spokesman said.

The underwater search has identified more than 400 seabed features classified as category 3, which is assigned to sonar contacts that are of some interest as they stand out from their surroundings but have low probability of being significant to the search for the plane.

The development came as France confirmed it would conduct air and sea searches off its Indian Ocean territory of Reunion until the start of next week for debris from missing flight MH370.

A wing part was found on July 29 on the French territory and confirmed by the Malaysian prime minister to be part of the Boeing 777 which went missing on March 8, 2014 with 239 people onboard, including 39 Australian residents and citizens.

A French official on Reunion said the searches would be shifted to the periphery of the initial area scoured, especially to the south.