A special flight operated by Xiamen Airlines prepares to head for Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, on March 22 to help the country combat the COVID-19 epidemic. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A chartered flight loaded with 17 metric tons of epidemic prevention and control materials and medical supplies set off for Jakarta, capital of Indonesia, on March 22 to help the country combat the COVID-19 epidemic.

The special flight, operated by Xiamen Airlines, carried 50,000 medical gloves and 900,000 COVID-19 testing kits supplied by the Chinese government and landed at Jakarta International Airport the morning after takeoff.

After receiving the emergency task on March 21, the company took immediate action to ensure the timely delivery of the materials, transporting them safely to Indonesia within 48 hours, according to a spokesperson for the company.

This is Xiamen Airlines' first international carriage since the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak.

Indonesia is currently suffering from the COVID-19 epidemic, with its capital city Jakarta reporting 215 confirmed cases and 18 deaths as of March 20, the highest in the country. The city has announced a state of emergency for 14 days to curb the spread of COVID-19.

On March 18, the government of Indonesia asked for an emergency assistance from China, and the Chinese government responded by saying that China is willing to use all available resources to help Indonesia fight the epidemic.

Officials inspect the epidemic prevention and control materials to be sent to Jakarta, capital of Indonesia. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The charted flight is loaded with 17 metric tons of epidemic prevention and control materials and medical supplies to be sent to Jakarta on March 22. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]