NZ considers initiative to monitor long-haul flights

The disappearance of Malaysian Airlines flight MH370 has been officially declared an accident. Photo / AP

New Zealand is keeping a close watch on an initiative that will allow planes to be more easily found if they disappear like Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

No trace of MH370 has been found nearly a year since its disappearance while travelling from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing.

A spokeswoman for Associate Transport Minister Craig Foss said the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) was monitoring an initiative being led by Australia, Indonesia and Malaysia.

The new system will enable planes to be tracked every 15 minutes, as opposed to the previous rate of 30 to 40 minutes.

The trial, which will begin in Brisbane, will likely use satellite-based positioning technology that is already standard on most long-haul aircraft.

If there is any deviation from a plane's expected route the system is expected to increase the tracking rate to five minutes or less.

Australian Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss is confident this new method of tracking would have triggered heightened surveillance of the doomed MH370 aircraft seven hours earlier when it changed direction.

Airservices Australia chairman Angus Houston concedes it is not a "silver bullet".

"But it is an important step in delivering immediate improvements to the way we currently track aircraft while more comprehensive solutions are developed."

- Additional reporting AAP