2 Flights Set to Return Wuhan Travelers Overseas to China

A police officer in protective gear is seen aboard a flight at Putuoshan Airport in Zhoushan, Zhejiang province, on Jan 28, 2020. [Photo by Zou Xunyong/For China Daily]

The Civil Aviation Administration of China has arranged two flights on Friday to bring back Wuhan travelers who remain abroad due to the city's lockdown amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

The flights, to be operated by Xiamen Air on Friday, will take Wuhan tourists from Bangkok, Thailand and Kota Kinabalu, a coastal city in Malaysia, back home, the administration said.

Many people from Wuhan, the center of the ongoing epidemic, had left the city for overseas trips before the lockdown of the city. Many flights back to Wuhan had been canceled afterward, leaving them stranded in other countries.

The flights left from Xiamen, Fujian province, at noon and are scheduled to take off from Bangkok's Suvarnabhumi Airport and Kota Kinabalu International Airport at 3:40 pm and 4:25 pm respectively, according to the carrier.

The aircraft was thoroughly disinfected to ensure that passengers will safely return to the country and the cabin crew members are well-protected, the company said, adding that it also has two medical workers on board each plane.

Passengers are able to purchase tickets on Xiamen Air's website or at the airport counter, it said.