The search area for the missing MH370 plane is no closer to being refined and is still operating on "guesstimates", according to Prime Minister Tony Abbott, despite navy and air force crews scouring the Indian Ocean for the past three weeks.
Mr Abbott, who on Monday visited the Pearce RAAF base, north of Perth, said that he was "getting several updates a day" though conceded search personnel were operating on limited information with wreckage parts yet to be confirmed.
While Australia is currently bearing the cost for the search operation, Mr Abbott said that "tallying" will be conducted at some point between the involved countries.
"It's only reasonable that we should bear this cost," Mr Abbott said.
"It's an act of international citizenship on Australia's part. At some point there might need to be a reckoning.
"There might have to be some kind of tallying, but nevertheless we are happy to be as helpful as we can to all of the countries with a stake in this, and let's not forget it's not just Malaysia, there's China obviously which had the largest number of citizens on the aircraft."
Mr Abbott said the cost of the search operation has also involved countries that have a legal involvement such as the "Americans who built the aircraft, the British who built the engines, the French who supplied the avionics".
The Prime Minister thanked all the nations involved in the search off the coast of Western Australia, specifically the "extraordinary effort" of the Malaysian aviators.
"It really has been an extraordinary effort from the aviators from Malaysia who have come here. It's been tremendous, the international co-operation here," Mr Abbott said.
"To see the co-operation with us from China, Japan and from Korea is really heartening and demonstrates that in a humanitarian cause the nations of the regions can come together...and work to try and bring peace and closure to the 239 passengers of the ill-fated aircraft."
A total of 10 aircraft from Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and the United States will be involved in Monday's search.
31/03/14 Amanda Hoh/Sydney Morning Herald
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Mr Abbott, who on Monday visited the Pearce RAAF base, north of Perth, said that he was "getting several updates a day" though conceded search personnel were operating on limited information with wreckage parts yet to be confirmed.
While Australia is currently bearing the cost for the search operation, Mr Abbott said that "tallying" will be conducted at some point between the involved countries.
"It's only reasonable that we should bear this cost," Mr Abbott said.
"It's an act of international citizenship on Australia's part. At some point there might need to be a reckoning.
"There might have to be some kind of tallying, but nevertheless we are happy to be as helpful as we can to all of the countries with a stake in this, and let's not forget it's not just Malaysia, there's China obviously which had the largest number of citizens on the aircraft."
Mr Abbott said the cost of the search operation has also involved countries that have a legal involvement such as the "Americans who built the aircraft, the British who built the engines, the French who supplied the avionics".
The Prime Minister thanked all the nations involved in the search off the coast of Western Australia, specifically the "extraordinary effort" of the Malaysian aviators.
"It really has been an extraordinary effort from the aviators from Malaysia who have come here. It's been tremendous, the international co-operation here," Mr Abbott said.
"To see the co-operation with us from China, Japan and from Korea is really heartening and demonstrates that in a humanitarian cause the nations of the regions can come together...and work to try and bring peace and closure to the 239 passengers of the ill-fated aircraft."
A total of 10 aircraft from Australia, China, Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea and the United States will be involved in Monday's search.
31/03/14 Amanda Hoh/Sydney Morning Herald
