New Delhi, Feb 22 (IANS): Five planes of Qatar Airways Cargo on Friday departed for China carrying around 300 tonnes of medical supplies donated by the airline to support cornavirus relief efforts.

"The five flights departed for Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou one after the other as part of Qatar Airways' voluntary offer of free air cargo transportation for medical relief aid organised by Chinese Embassies and Consulates worldwide to fight the coronavirus emergency," the airline said in a statement.

Friday's convoy follows an earlier batch of critical medical relief aid transported by Qatar Airways Cargo to Shanghai on February 2. The shipment included 1,00,000 medical-grade N95 respiratory masks and 2,700 medical-grade disposable latex gloves, providing essential protection to healthcare professionals working around the clock at hospitals in Hubei Province, the epicentre of the virus.

The airline is planning to transport additional donations in the coming weeks, it said. Qatar Airways is the first international airline to volunteer emergency relief flight delivery, the statement said.

Qatar Airways is also working closely with the World Health Organization and local authorities worldwide to safeguard the health and safety of its employees and passengers.