ISLAMABAD: A Shaheen Air International (SAI) flight has brought back 214 Pakistanis stranded in the Chinese city of Guangzhou.

The special flight left for Guangzhou Airport on Sunday night and landed back at Lahore’s Allama Iqbal International Airport late Monday.

SAI flights from Guangzhou to Lahore due for July 29, Aug. 2 and Aug. 5 “were canceled due to technical problems in their aircraft,” said Pakistan’s Foreign Ministry.

“As a result of these cancelations, a large number of Pakistanis were stranded at Guangzhou Airport.”

While most of the passengers scheduled to take the July 29 flight opted for a full refund and booked other commercial flights, some decided to wait for the next SAI flight, the ministry added.

Pakistan’s consulate in Guangzhou “ensured the wellbeing of the passengers,” the ministry said. “They were lodged in Hotel Holiday Villa near the airport and provided with halal food.”

The Consulate also ensured that all passengers whose visas had expired due to the flight cancelations did not face any problems, the ministry added.