The delayed chartered plane sent to return Chinese citizens from Mexico took off early on Wednesday morning, the airline confirmed.

The flight carrying 97 Chinese nationals is expected to land at the Pudong International Airport in Shanghai at 4:35 PM (Beijing Time), according to the China Southern Airlines.

Due to bad weather, the plane en route to Mexico was forced to land in Los Angeles while on the way to pick up more Chinese citizens in Tijuana on Tuesday evening.

The plane resumed its journey four hours later, arriving at Tijuana at 1:13 AM (Beijing Time) Wednesday and taking off at 2:45 AM (Beijing Time).

Doctors are monitoring the passengers' health, said the airline. All passengers are described as being "in normal condition".

China sent the flight after an agreement with Mexico, plagued by the A/H1N1 flu outbreak, to send respective chartered flights to bring back nationals.

China suspended direct flights from Mexico to Shanghai from Saturday after a 25-year-old Mexican man, who arrived in Shanghai on Thursday aboard flight Aeromexico 098, was later diagnosed with A/H1N1 flu in Hong Kong.

The Mexican became Hong Kong's first confirmed A/H1N1 infection case last Friday.

(Xinhua News Agency May 6, 2009)