Air search continues for missing Malaysian airliner

The air search of the southern Indian Ocean for Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 resumed Friday with nine military aircraft from six nations taking part.

The military aircraft scheduled to fly were two Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) P3 Orions, a Republic of Korea P3 Orion, a Republic of Korea C130 Hercules, a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P3 Orion, a Chinese Ilyushin IL-76, a US Navy P8 Poseidon aircraft, and a Japanese coast guard jet and a P3 Orion, said a statement from the Australian Maritime Safety Authority.

One civil aircraft would act as a communications relay in the search area.

The first aircraft to leave Perth for the search area was the Chinese Ilyushin IL-76 aircraft at about 9 a.m.

South Korea's Hercules C130 departed at about 10 a.m.

The RNZAF P3 Orion was scheduled to depart after 11 a.m., followed by the civil jet acting as communications relay.

The Japan Coast Guard jet was scheduled to depart about 1 p.m.

The South Korean P3 Orion was scheduled to depart about 2 p.m and two RAAF P3 Orion aircraft were scheduled to depart between 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.

The US Navy P8 Poseidon and the Japanese P3 Orion were scheduled to depart about 5 p.m.

A total of five ships, four from China and one from Australia, have also been tasked to Friday's search.