WATCH: Stranded Chinese passengers applaud as plane reroutes to quarantined Wuhan

The crew of a Juneyao Airlines flight from Osaka to Shanghai volunteered to take stranded tourists directly to quarantined Wuhan after seeking special dispensation from Chinese authorities in an incredible display of solidarity.

Flight HO1340 was scheduled to depart at 7:55pm local time from Osaka in Japan and land at its destination, Shanghai at approximately 9:30pm. However, at the request of tourists on board, the airline sought, and received, permission to reroute in China’s airspace and make a detour to Wuhan.

The 11 crew all volunteered to operate the flight while wearing masks, goggles, and gloves. 

Some 94 of the passengers were left stranded after a wave of flight cancellations as the coronavirus outbreak gathered pace, but were finally brought to Wuhan, the heart of the novel coronavirus outbreak.

“The flight is heading to Wuhan, welcome home,” the flight attendant said to rapturous applause from those on board. Upon landing, those on board from other regions were transferred to another flight to Shanghai.

The crew voluntarily agreed to be quarantined for 14 days and when the plane eventually returned to Shanghai, it was reportedly thoroughly disinfected. 

The Shanghai-based airline also unloaded 19 boxes of protective outfits and masks purchased in Japan. Juneyao announced that it will transport another 30,000 protective outfits and other supplies from Japan and other countries, including Thailand and Finland, to Wuhan and other Chinese regions affected by the outbreak. 

The 2019-nCoV coronavirus has so far infected 5,974 people in China alone, of which at least 132 people have died. Cases have also been reported throughout Asia, North America, the Middle East, and Europe.

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