Thai AirAsia considersits flight to Wuhan, China, on Saturday (February 1) to collect the Thais stranded there a humanitarian mission and will absorb all costs.

AirAsia Group chief executive Tony Fernandes wrote to Prime Minister Prayut Chan-o-cha on Friday, saying the airline was ready to help repatriate the Thais.

They have thus far been unable to leave Wuhan because of China’s public-transport lockdown stemming from the 2019-nCoV coronavirus outbreak that began in that central city.

Kuala Lumpur-based AirAsia is one of two airlines normally with direct flights to Wuhan, the other being Lion Air.