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American Airlines and British Airways will test COVID-19 tests for free.
andrew caballero-reynolds / Agence France-Presse / Getty Images
American Airlines AAL,
and British Airways IAG,
have launched a coronavirus test trial in a bid to persuade the US and UK governments that testing can jump-start international travel and remove the need for passengers to self-quarantine on arrival.
The trial, which is also operated through the ‘Oneworld’ airline alliance, will aim to collect data from at least 500 passengers on flights from three US cities to London Heathrow, asking them to take three free COVID-19 tests as part of their trip: one before departure, one on landing, and one three days after arrival.
The third test aims to further confirm the results of the first two tests, to show that pre-flight testing will allow a safe restart, AA, BA and Oneworld said in a joint statement.
The trial will run from November 25 through mid-December. Data collected during the trial will be aggregated by independent scientists and shared with UK ministers, to convince them to drop a 14-day quarantine rule for arrivals from most countries.
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United Airlines UAL,
also launched a COVID test trial, with the first volunteers arriving at Heathrow on November 17 on flight UA14 from Newark Liberty International Airport. The airline uses the Abbott ID Now COVID-19 test.
One of the 37 passengers on the flight tested positive before boarding and was told to postpone their trip.
Last week, German airline Lufthansa LHA,
introduced compulsory pre-flight tests on specific flights between Munich and Hamburg. The tests are free and passengers who do not wish to be tested can book their flight for free
Under current UK government policies, international travelers arriving in the UK from the US are required to self-isolate for 14 days, even if they have tested negative for COVID-19.
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Sean Doyle, Managing Director of BA, which is part of International Consolidated Airlines ICAGY,
said the move is putting the brakes on the UK, as large economies like Germany adopt tests to replace quarantine.
“For people arriving from countries with high infection rates, another test on arrival should then release them from quarantine,” Doyle said.
AA General Manager Doug Parker said the results of this trial will be “vital for reopening safe transatlantic travel.”
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Testing will initially be offered on select BA flights to London Heathrow from John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York and Los Angeles, and on select AA flights from Dallas / Fort Worth to Heathrow.
They will then be offered to passengers on select AA flights between JFK and Heathrow.
Research from the industry body, the International Air Transport Association, suggests the risk of contracting COVID-19 on airplanes is extremely low, with only 44 cases of COVID-19 recorded as related to flights, since early 2020. Over the same period, some 1.2 billion passengers traveled.
A study by Harvard University’s TH Chan School of Public Health published on October 27 found that a robust, tiered strategy can effectively reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 during air travel.
“Our team has observed that, with their high-performance ventilation systems, the actions taken by airlines – including the compulsory use of face masks – considerably reduce the risks of viral transmission on board an aircraft”, said Leonard Marcus, co-director of the Aviation Public Health Initiative.
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