BUSINESS NEWS


‘A quick [Covid-19] test at the departure airport would


give confidence to passengers ... and get rid of quarantine,’ says an aviation expert


‘Next, we want to move to pre-departure tests’


Industry sets sights on a no-quarantine flying regime, reports Ian Taylor “We don’t know how a test after


The announcement of a Covid-test regime for arrivals to England from mid-December drew a broad welcome this week. But industry sights are already set on the next stage – a move to pre-departure testing. A leading aviation source said: “We


want to move toward pre-departure tests. That is likely to require global acceptance of antigen LAMP tests that are cheaper and quicker so we can do tests at airports.


40 26 NOVEMBER 2020


five days and release from quarantine will impact demand. No one has ever modelled this. “The whole point is we need to


get rid of quarantine. Pre-departure testing is part of the taskforce [remit]. We suspect it’s looking at different systems. If you can do a quick test at the departure airport it will give confidence to passengers.” There is a suggestion the


government should pilot pre-departure testing on routes such as to New York and the Canary Islands with a second test a few days after arrival. British Airways and American


Airlines have announced a testing trial on some New York-Heathrow flights and United Airlines is already trialling a similar scheme.


Continued on page 38 travelweekly.co.uk


BUSINESSNEWS


PICTURE: Shutterstock


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44