REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BANDA ACEH -- Aceh province's search and rescue team has deployed a ship to Malacca strait to help search for a missing Malaysian airplane, the team's spokesman Ibnu Haris said.

"We have started the search operation since Tuesday around the Malacca strait. However, our search and rescue workers have yet to find any sign of the aircraft's whereabouts," he said here Wednesday.

There were 22 personnel on board of the ship, deployed to support Indonesia's participation in searching for the missing plane, he said.

The Malaysia Airlines flight MH370 carrying 239 people, including seven Indonesians, went missing on its flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, China, on early Saturday.

The ill-fated aircraft was scheduled to land at Beijing International Airport at 6.30 am local time. However, the aircraft lost radar contact with Subang air traffic control at around 2.40 am local time.

In a search operation, an Indonesian Air Force's Boeing A7303 had combed the Malacca Strait from Monday to Tuesday but it failed to spot any sign of the aircraft's whereabouts.

"Indonesian Air Force aircraft has combed A to B spot area (at the suspected crash site of MAS MH370) back and forth in Malacca strait to assist Malaysia in finding the missing plane," Commander of Air Base Ranai Lieutenant Colonel Aviator Andri Gandhy said.

The Indonesian Air Force`s search range spread from upper Aceh to Malacca strait, and the search was carried out by using electronic radar monitoring and optical pictures and videos.

In order to back up its search operation, Indonesia had also deployed five naval ships and a helicopter by coordinating with the Malaysian authorities.

The National Search and Rescue Agency (BASARNAS) also deployed a SAR ship to help the search and evacuation.

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