Expectations high as suspected MH370 wreckage arrives in Paris

Paris, Aug 1
Expectations are high among investigators who are hoping to unlock the mystery of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 as a piece of plane wreckage found on Reunion island arrived in Paris on Saturday for official analysis.

The two-metre, barnacle-encrusted chunk of metal wreckage which emerged from the sea on Wednesday has raised hopes of discovering what happened to the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight which mysteriously disappeared from radars on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board, The Guardian reported.

The two-metre, barnacle-encrusted chunk of metal wreckage which was discovered by beach cleaners on Wednesday has raised hopes of discovering what happened to the Kuala Lumpur-Beijing flight which mysteriously disappeared from radars on March 8, 2014, with 239 people on board, The Guardian reported.

The piece of wreckage - known as a flaperon or wing component - arrived at ParisÂ’ Orly earlier in the day on an Air France flight from the island of Reunion.

The flaperon will be taken to the southwestern city of Toulouse to a defence ministry laboratory where it will be analysed this Wednesday, the Paris prosecutor's office said in a statement.

Boeing on Friday said it will dispatch a team to assist in analysing the wreckage and investigators added they are confident the debris is from a 777 aircraft.

Boeing engineers have seen a part number -- 10-60754-1133 -- in photos of the component.

A Boeing parts supplier confirmed the number was on a seal associated with the Boeing 777, a source said.

Images of the debris appear to match schematic drawings for the right-wing flaperon from a 777.

Malaysia have also dispatched teams to Toulouse.