Six passengers from the hantavirus-stricken MV Hondius are finally winging their way to Perth, where they are set to arrive Friday and begin a lengthy stretch in quarantine.
The flight from Eindhoven Airport in The Netherlands departed Thursday afternoon - an hour later than Australian officials had planned - and is due to touch down at RAAF Base Pearce about 11am tomorrow.
From there, the group will be transported directly to a quarantine facility in Bullsbrook about 7km away for an initial three-week quarantine period.
All six cruise passengers tested negative to hantavirus before the flight, authorities said.
Their plane, which departed about 4.30pm Thursday, is a Gulfstream G550 business jet capable of commercial airliner speeds.
As well as the cruise ship passengers - four Australians, a permanent resident from the UK and a New Zealander - the flight to Perth also contains medical personnel.
Officials say there are strict protocols in place to protect the passengers, those involved in their return and processing, and the broader Australian community.
The group had been the last passengers to disembark the cruise ship in the Canary Islands on Monday.
They were flown to The Netherlands where they spent two days in hotel quarantine as the Australian Government worked to secure a charter plane and a flight crew who would be willing to quarantine in Perth.
The passengers and crew will isolate at the facility for three weeks and undergo continuous testing before an assessment is made about plans for the remainder of the 42-day incubation period.
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