The Chinese Embassy in Japan is planning to transport stranded healthy Wuhan residents back to China on Saturday despite the coronavirus outbreak in the city of 11 million.

The embassy asked Shanghai-based Spring Airlines for help.

The first flight is expected to depart from Haneda airport on Saturday.

So far, about 350 Hubei province residents in Tokyo and surrounding areas in Japan are willing to return to Wuhan as quickly as possible by plane.

China also dispatched a plane to Malaysia to pick up Wuhan residents.

The flights to Wuhan come as a number of airlines have announced they have cut off or reduced service.