'Evacuation Flight for British Nationals' Departure Delayed Due to Pending Approval from Chinese Authorities

[Image source=Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Jeong Dong-hoon] The charter flight intended to evacuate British nationals stranded in Wuhan and the surrounding Hubei Province of China due to the novel coronavirus infection (Wuhan pneumonia) has been postponed.

According to BBC and other sources on the 30th (local time), the charter flight carrying about 200 British nationals was originally scheduled to depart at 10:30 a.m. local time but was unable to take off as it did not receive approval from Chinese authorities.

A spokesperson for the British Foreign Office stated that not only British flights but also several other countries' flights were unable to depart as planned. The spokesperson explained, "We are in close contact with Chinese authorities, and related discussions are ongoing."

It is reported that the delay in departure was also due to conflicts over passenger admission. The Chinese government is preventing Chinese nationals married to British citizens and their children holding Chinese passports from boarding the charter flight.

The British government planned to quarantine its nationals for 14 days at National Health Service (NHS) facilities after the charter flight arrived at Brize Norton Air Base in Oxfordshire, southern England. Additionally, they would receive necessary treatment depending on the manifestation of symptoms.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.