SHANGHAI, March 29 (Xinhua) -- A total of 153 Taiwan compatriots stranded in Hubei Province due to the COVID-19 outbreak flew to Taiwan on board the flight CI504 of Taiwan-based China Airlines, which took off from Shanghai Pudong International Airport Sunday night.

Due to the fact that Taiwan authorities do not allow direct flights from Hubei's capital city of Wuhan to Taiwan, many Taiwan compatriots remaining in Hubei made overnight trips to Shanghai to take the designated flight.

Many Taiwan compatriots had to give up their chances to return to Taiwan considering the inconvenience for the elderly and children to travel to Shanghai.

According to the Taiwan affairs office of Hubei, about 870 remaining Taiwan compatriots had applied to fly back to Taiwan from Wuhan, with around 290 Taiwan compatriots having applied for health certificates for leaving Hubei.

The Shanghai airport, the immigration inspection authorities and the customs authorities have all provided assistance to facilitate Taiwan compatriots' trips.