"No one has become unwell during the flight and the two busloads of people that I was able to address before I came out were very relieved. They looked very tired, it's been a long trip."
Aaron Mahon was aboard the plane after being trapped in Wuhan with his family during the outbreak.
He said the evacuees were rapt to be home.
"Everyone clapped when we landed, such a wonderful feeling," Mahon told 1 NEWS.
"The staff are amazing, so personal and so helpful. Every person was so safe on the flight."
Mahon said the in-flight food was also good.
It's two weeks since the city of Wuhan went into lockdown amid a deadly coronavirus outbreak.
Dr Ashley Bloomfield Director General of Health updates the media about the Air NZ rescue flight to bring back Kiwis from China. Photo / Dean Purcell
The 190 evacuees onboard tonight's flight were processed at the border by officials and are now being taken to a military base in Whangaparāoa where they will undergo two weeks of quarantine.
Bloomfield said no one had become ill on the flight and all passengers were non-symptomatic.
"I'm pleased to say that the flight is here, the people on board are all well."
The evacuees would be under daily medical supervision by Ministry of Health staff at the military base.
Those in isolation would not be able to be visited, but would have access to their phones to contact loved ones.
There are no plans for a second evacuation flight to Wuhan, he said.
Health officials have today released images of the base, where the evacuees will be isolated for the next 14 days.
Air New Zealand's chief operational integrity and standards officer Captain David Morgan said the delay was to be expected, given that the airline was not familiar with the airport.
The Boeing 777-200 flight could accommodate 312 passengers, yet was boarded by 198 evacuees, Air New Zealand said.
People wear face masks as they fill out immigration paperwork at Wuhan Tianhe International Airport. Photo / AP
At a press conference on Tuesday, authorities said 263 people were registered for the flight - it's not clear why the other registered people did not board.
One person was not allowed to board due to illness.
A St John doctor and two paramedics assessed the passengers to decide if they were healthy enough to travel out of Wuhan.
Anyone suspected of having the virus was not allowed on the flight.
The respiratory virus has now claimed 427 lives and infected more than 20,000 people globally.
A total of 193 evacuees boarded the emergency flight from Wuhan.
One hundred of those passengers were New Zealand citizens and permanent residents, 23 were Australian citizens and 70 were foreign nationals, predominantly from Pacific Island countries including Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Kiribati, Tonga, Fiji and the Federated States of Micronesia.
All passengers, apart from the Australian evacuees, will be quarantined in Whangaparāoa.
Upon arrival, Australian passengers will be directly transferred to a flight in Australia.
Virus Spread
An operations plan seen by The Herald said heavy duty N95/P3 masks were available to be worn by passengers aboard the flight, expected to take just over 11 hours.
The masks can be removed when in non-passenger areas.
There is no wifi aboard the flight and in an operations plan seen by the Herald, mobile phone use is forbidden until passengers have cleared New Zealand border agencies.
Plans for the rescue flight state no alcohol is to be served, instead additional soda, juice and water was to be offered to passengers.
All evacuees were to be confined to the Economy area, while Business Premier is dedicated to operational, Air NZ support staff, Mfat and Ministry of Health personnel.
Dedicated toilets for crew and support staff have been locked off.
An illustration of the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV). Photo / AP
There were also plans to have an isolation area should passenger(s) develop symptoms inflight, with five rows requested for this.
The plan says there will be ''significant'' additional personal protection items.
The volunteer cabin crew had to wear surgical masks and gloves have to be used during all interactions with passengers.
Meanwhile, images released today by the Ministry of Health show the reception area of the Whangaparāoa military base, where the evacuees are to be quarantined for the next two weeks.
The base was chosen to house the evacuees due to its size, location and access to medical facilities, a Ministry of Health spokesman said.
Food for the evacuees will be provided by commercial contractors. Photo / Supplied
"We will ensure people receive daily medical checks while in isolation," he said.
"We also want to ensure while people are in isolation, they can continue to maintain as normal a life as possible, despite the circumstances. That might mean people working remotely, meeting education needs for children and providing for leisure activities."
Food for those in quarantine will be provided by commercial contractors, with generators, increased broadband and cellular capability to be installed.
The Tamaki Leadership Centre will house the Wuhan evacuees for the next two weeks. Photo / Supplied
Outdoor furniture and a play area for children among the quarantined will be provided, the spokesman said.
"The Ministry is also preparing to provide returnees with an information pack. This will provide information about the facility, dietary requirements, the 14-day isolation plan and security at the facility, among other things."
Outdoor furniture and a play area for children in quarantine will be provided. Photo / Supplied
There is a no-fly zone above the military base and people who want to drop parcels off to those in quarantine will be asked to drop them at the local police station in Orewa, he said.
Evacuees will receive information about the facility, the 14-day isolation plan and security measures. Photo / Supplied
