Flight MH370 wreckage may never be found, says head of search operation

The wreckage of the Malaysia Airlines plane might never be found, the head of the search for Flight MH370 has said.

Speaking to media on Tuesday, Air Chief Marshal (rtd) Angus Houston raised the possibility that no wreckage from the jet may ever be found, revealing authorities have a very poor understanding about how fast or far it traveled.

Houston also compared the search for the aircraft to the disappearance of HMAS Sydney, which took 60 years to locate, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

He said that no wreckage of the plane has been found after three and a half weeks despite a multinational effort now involving nine ships, 10 aircraft and 1000 personnel.

He added that the search for flight MH370 was by far the most challenging he had come across.

Air Chief Marshal Houston will brief Malaysia's Prime Minister Najib Razak on the search and recovery effort, with the leader scheduled to arrive in Perth on Wednesday, the report added.