Chinese pilot ferries stranded passengers home

Zhong said he couldn't guarantee that there wasno suspected case of the infection among so many passengers. Therefore, he pays special notice to avoid panic and movement among the passengers if something happens. The safety of the whole crew and the passengers was guaranteed in the journey.

Fortunately, things at Manila International Airport run smoothly. Zhong said there's no sign of discrimination or segregation from the airportstaff in the Philippines.

"As the first flight picking up stalled Chinese, we received heartfelt warmth from workers in the airport in the Philippines and were deeply touched," he said.

"In fact, there were two passengers with a ,fever including one from Hubei province. Both of them boarded the plane first, with their temperature monitored many times. Other passengers boarded afterwards after the two were confirmed with no travel history to Wuhan."

"The two with fever had it likely caused by interior stuffiness or their nervousness," he said.

Crew members made sure that all passengers wore their masks properly and maintained order in the cabin.

Landing at Quanzhou Jinjiang International Airport in Fujian province, other passengers were allowed to get off after the two with the symptoms of fever were proved healthy through a thorough, 20-minute check by quarantine inspectors. All passengers received health checks each time.

After seeing the passengers' exciting faces when landing home, Zhong also gave himself a thumbs-up.

"The successful accomplishment of the mission means a lot to me. It's a test both on my professional and psychological state," he said.

Accomplishing this special task, Zhong will go to Xiamen and be with his family.

"I have to get a self-check to see whether I have to quarantine myself at home."

Zhong Rui also provides some suggestions to his colleagues. For pilots, he suggested not panicking or burdening themselves too much. It will be OK if they wear masks properly. Flight attendants, since they have frequent contact with passengers, have to pay special attention to virus prevention.

Lin Yuanjun contributed to this story.