Are these the first pictures of the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370?

A team of investigators is on its way to Reunion in the Indian Ocean to determine whether a piece of washed-up debris belongs to the missing Malaysia Airlines flight MH370.

If confirmed, it would be the first part of the missing plane found since it went missing in March 2014 with 239 people on board.

The debris, which aviation experts believe with a "high degree of confidence" is a component of a Boeing 777 wing known as a flaperon, washed up on the island late on Wednesday.

The two-metre long piece of debris was found by a team of workers clearing an area of the coastline and was covered in shells.

A spokesperson for the Australian government, which has been leading the main search efforts, told News.com.au: "The location in which it was found is consistent with our analysis of where pieces of MH370 would have drifted to over the course of more than a year."

A piece of the debris has now been taken to France, which governs the Reunion islands, for further analysis while another piece has been secured for investigation near the Sainte-Marie airport.

More: MH370 debris washed up in Indian Ocean? Here's what you need to know