Virus Outbreak: Flights set to evacuate 440 from China

‘TAIWAN MODEL’: The government aims to determine whether using normal scheduled flights better meets its objectives than the charter flights used previously

Taipei Times
Date: Mar 27, 2020
By: Sean Lin / Staff reporter

From left, Council of Agriculture Deputy Minister Chen Tien-shou, Deputy Minister of the Interior Chen Tsung-yen, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Kolas Yotaka and Deputy Minister of Transportation and Communications Wang Kuo-tsai take part in a news conference at the Executive Yuan in Taipei yesterday.
Photo: CNA

The Straits Exchange Foundation yesterday announced a third set of flights to evacuate 440 Taiwanese from China’s Hubei Province due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The flights, operated by China Airlines Ltd (中華航空) according to its normal schedule, are on Sunday and Monday next week.

They are to depart Shanghai Pudong International Airport at 7:50pm and arrive at Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport at 9:50pm, the foundation said.

China Airlines is to dispatch two Boeing 777.

The aircraft has a capacity of 358 passengers, but each would only carry 220 to ensure a proper distance is maintained between those onboard, it said. [FULL STORY]