French and Malaysian investigators are meeting in Paris after the arrival of a wing fragment many hope will solve the mystery of missing Malaysia Airlines Flight 370.

Experts are trying to determine whether the part comes from the plane, which disappeared on March 8, 2014 while en route from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing with 239 people on board.

It was found on the French Indian Ocean island of Reunion and returned to the French mainland.

Air safety investigators, including one from Boeing, have identified the component as a flaperon from the trailing edge of a Boeing 777 wing, a US official has said.

Flight 370 is the only missing 777 and many are convinced the flap comes from the ill-fated jet.