China Southern Airlines Jilin Branch transported 24 medical staff as well as 962 kg of luggage and medical supplies from Changchun, Jilin province, to coronavirus-hit Wuhan city, Hubei province on Feb 4, airline officials said.

They said it was a mission commissioned by the Civil Aviation Administration of China, aiming to offer help tackling the recent novel coronavirus outbreak.

The CZ5241 flight took off from Changchun Longjia International Airport, heading for Wuhan, via Shenyang in Liaoning province.

To date, China Southern Airlines Jilin Branch has transported 279 medical personnel and 15.2 tons of medical and various materials to Wuhan, according to officials.

Workers at Changchun Longjia International Airport sort the luggage of medical staff heading for Wuhan, on Feb 4. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]