Speaking to Tasnim, Shahram Adamnejad said according to an emergency declaration by the WHO and a resolution passed by the Iranian cabinet, scheduled flights to China have been suspended due to the threat of coronavirus outbreak in the country.
“In recent days, Mahan Airlines has been allowed to bring back Iranian citizens from China via several restricted and controlled flights,” he added.
He further pointed to the presence of a number of Iranian students in Wuhan and said in coordination with the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Health and Medical Education, a Mahan plane will fly to China on Tuesday to transfer the students to the country.
The death toll in China from the deadly coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan rose to at least 361 on Monday, as the Philippines became the first country outside China to confirm a death from the infection.
The total number of people infected with the virus rose to 17,205 across China, after 2,829 new cases were reported.
Other countries have rushed to evacuate their citizens from Wuhan and Hubei, while many have also imposed extraordinary travel restrictions on travelers to and from China.