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Starting in the middle of next month, passengers of the US airline “United Airlines” will be able to perform a Corona test before boarding the plane, according to the US newspaper “Washington Post”.
This step is intended to be applied to passengers traveling between San Francisco and Hawaii, so United Airlines will become the first American airline to provide passengers with Corona tests, as part of a new strategy followed by airlines, which They seek to attract travelers.
The pilot program will launch when United begins to increase its flights to Hawaii.
Toby Incvist, United’s director of customer service, said the new Corona testing program is another way to help customers meet the requirements to enter their destinations safely and comfortably.
He added that the company is looking to rapidly expand customer testing to other destinations and at US airports, later this year, while maintaining other measures such as cleaning, mask use, sterilization and other systems such as filtration. of air.
United agents will have the option of running a quick test at the airport or a test the results of which will be emailed and collected prior to departure.
The costs of the exam will be borne by the travelers, the express test, with results available in about 15 minutes, will cost 250 dollars and the test by email 80 dollars.
Until the vaccine is widely available, aviation professionals believe that the initial Corona test could be key in persuading countries to reopen their borders for travel and re-establish general aviation traffic again.
And earlier this week, the International Air Transport Association urged governments to work with airlines to implement coronavirus testing programs at airports.
Alexandre de Juniac, Director General of the International Air Transport Association, said the key to restoring freedom of movement across borders is the regular Corona test for all travelers before departure, and this will give governments the confidence to open its borders without risk, and it will retest all passengers so that people have the freedom to travel with confidence, and this will put millions of people back on the job.
In light of the existence of trial programs for Corona at various international airports, including Germany, Hong Kong, Japan and Italy, there is still no common standard on how the programs operate.
De Juniac said airlines face challenges as they move to expand testing programs, including drafting agreements on standards and ensuring universal acceptance of results.
He added that there should also be a supply of quick, accurate, affordable and easy to administer tests available.
Germany’s Lufthansa, which announced earlier this month that it will offer the Corona virus test to its first and business class passengers, starting next month, indicated that the lack of medical and logistics supplies is the reason why the trial is not offered to all passengers.
However, de Juniac relied on studies showing that people were ready for the test and would be more willing to travel if the test were widely available.
United Airlines has partnered with two healthcare providers to run its testing program. Go Health Urgent Care and Significance Health will run rapid tests, while the test will be mailed to Kaler.
