Japanese airline to help Taiwanese leave Russia amid coronavirus pandemic

日本航空在冠狀病毒流行期間幫助台灣人離開俄羅斯

30 to 40 Taiwanese, mostly students, have asked for assistance: MOFA


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — A Japanese airline will offer 50 seats to Taiwanese wishing to leave Russia amid the spread of the Wuhan coronavirus (COVID-19), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) said Tuesday (May 12).

In early April, Japanese airlines also helped Taiwanese citizens leave India for Tokyo. In the Japanese capital, they were able to transfer to flights for Taiwan immediately, thus avoiding compulsory quarantine in Japan.

As the pandemic has only recently been spreading rapidly in Russia, more and more Taiwanese have been contacting their country’s representative office for assistance in returning home, CNA reported. Russia counted between 30 and 40 Taiwanese citizens who wanted to head home, mostly students.

During its quest to help them, the office in Moscow found that a commercial charter flight would cost at least NT$300,000 (US$10,000), while regular flights by most airlines to Japan and South Korea are fully booked.

However, on May 25 a Japanese airliner will head for Russia to evacuate Japanese citizens, and there may be as many as 50 seats available for Taiwanese nationals, according to MOFA. Talks between Taiwanese diplomats and the airline have not been completed yet, but there is a high likelihood that the flight will take place.