The debris fragments, found separately by members of the public, were flown to Canberra on March 20 to be examined by crash investigators along with specialists from Boeing, Geoscience Australia and the Australian National University.

After completing their test investigators suggest the pieces were "consistent with drift modelling" of ocean currents.

One of the parts retrieved in southern Africa was found on a sandbank by an amateur US investigator in late February – this prompted South African teenager Liam Lotter to come forward with a piece he had found in Mozambique in December.

The flight, from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, disappeared on March 8 2014 and only a fragment of wing has so far been found and positively identified. This washed up on the island of Reunion, near Mauritius last July.

In a statement, Australian infrastructure and transport minister Darren Chester explained that after examining the debris experts concluded the pieces were "consistent with panels from a Malaysia Airlines Boeing 777 aircraft," he went on to add: "The analysis has concluded the debris is almost certainly from MH370."

Meanwhile, more debris thought to be from MH370 has been found on a beach in South Africa.

A piece of engine cowling measuring 70cm x 70cm was discovered on the Western Cape by a walker.

It bears the distinctive Rolls Royce logo and is the same colour as that of the Malaysia Airlines’ Boeing 777 that is thought to have plunged into the Indian Ocean after turning wildly off course.

An air and sea search for the missing airliner is still continuing with authorities saying they are confident that the wreckage will be found by this summer.