MH370: Wing Section Belongs To Missing Plane

A section of wing found on Reunion Island has been confirmed to be part of missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370.

The Boeing 777 disappeared in March last year on its way from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 passengers and crew on board.

The first real breakthrough in a 17-month search was confirmed by the Malaysian prime minister.

:: Can mystery of missing plane now be solved?

"Today, 515 days since the plane disappeared, it is with a very heavy heart that I must tell you that an international team of experts has conclusively confirmed that the aircraft debris found on Reunion Island is indeed from MH370," Najib Razak told reporters.

"We now have physical evidence that on 31 March last year, flight MH370 tragically ended in the South Indian Ocean.

"I would like to assure all those affected by this tragedy that the government of Malaysia is committed to do everything within our means to find out the truth of what happened."

The announcement offers hope of an explanation to the families of the 239 people killed in the tragedy.

However, loved ones reacted by saying there remains a long road to find closure.

Jacquita Gonzales, wife of MH370 chief steward Patrick Gomes, said: "It's not the end.

"Although they found something, you know, it's not the end. They still need to find the whole plane and our spouses as well. We still want them back."

The wing was flown to France following the discovery in the Indian Ocean last week. Analysis began in Toulouse on Wednesday afternoon.

Speaking at a news conference, French prosecutor Serge Mackowiak said there was now a "very strong presumption" that the section belonged to MH370 and this could be confirmed by "complementary analysis" that would begin on Thursday.

He added that fragments of a suitcase found with the wing would also be analysed.

The airline said the discovery was "a major breakthrough for us in resolving the disappearance of MH370".

They added: "We expect and hope that there would be more objects to be found which would be able to help resolve this mystery."

Aviation experts say the wing surface - known as a flaperon - may have stayed afloat due to air pockets in its structure.

The flaperon was discovered by a local gardener called Johnny Begue, who told Sky News he hopes it might help families mourn and restart their lives .

Mr Begue said: "I went to the water's edge to pick up a stone to smash the herbs, and that's where I saw (it).

"I went down to the water to see if it was plane debris, and I could see that it was by the rounded shape."

The Balma test centre where the flaperon is being analysed specialises in metal analysis and is equipped with a scanning electron microscope capable of 100,000 times magnification.