Australia to test new aircraft tracking technology

Australia is slated to begin testing new methods of monitoring aircraft over remote areas following the mysterious disappearance of Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 almost a year ago.

Government-owned corporation Airservices Australia will join forces with Indonesia and Malaysia to install new devices that checks the movement of all aircraft every 15 minutes, as opposed to previous models that did so every 30 or 40 minutes, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.

It is hoped that the technology, which can be fitted to 90 percent of all existing long-haul aircraft, will mean the end of MH370-style disappearances by sending details of the aircraft's location and its next two planned positions.

"It is an important step in delivering immediate improvements to the way we currently track aircraft while more comprehensive solutions are developed," Airservices Australia Chairman Angus Houston said.

The developments came following suggestions from Australia's Deputy Prime Minister, Warren Truss, over the weekend that search efforts for the missing Boeing 777 aircraft could soon be called off.

The Malaysia Airlines flight went missing while flying from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing on March 8, 2014 with 239 passengers and crew members onboard.

Multi-national search efforts have continued, but no signs of its remains have surfaced.