BEIJING (REUTERS) - China's aviation authority has approved chartered flights to bring home from overseas trips some residents of the central city of Wuhan, the site of an epidemic caused by a new virus, state television said on Thursday (Jan 30).

Domestic and international airlines have cancelled flights between Wuhan and overseas cities since Jan. 23, in a bid to prevent the spread of the virus.

The aviation authority also asked the airlines not to stop healthy Wuhan residents from boarding flights.