Leaving No One Behind: Charter Flights Bring Stranded Hubei Residents Home

Wuhan resident Gao Huilin finally came back home, but in an unexpected way.

She was travelling in Malaysia and had been stranded there as the flight back to her hometown Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, was canceled on January 27 amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Four days later, a charter flight sent by the Chinese government left from Malaysia’s Kota Kinabalu and landed safely in Wuhan at 10:32 p.m. on January 31. Gao was onboard.

Gao said that the flight bringing them home made careful preparations including checking the passengers’ temperatures before boarding the plane, and safety precaution to reduce the risk of infection.

Earlier on same evening, around 9 p.m., another charter flight, also operated by Xiamen Airlines, arrived at Tianhe International Airport in Wuhan, bringing back stranded passengers from Bangkok, Thailand.

The two flights sent by the Chinese government together brought back 199 stranded Hubei residents from overseas following the novel coronavirus outbreak in Wuhan.

Passengers on the flights were tested if they had a fever. Those with fever symptoms will be quarantined immediately.

“I’m grateful to our country, which leaves no one behind,” Gao said.