(TAN): Virgin Atlantic has announced to introduce Covid-19 pre-flight testing at its Heathrow base for its cabin crew and pilots.
Launched on September 30 on flights to Shanghai and Hong Kong, the airline plans to extend the trial to Barbados and select services later in October, before a wider roll out to test every operating crew at least once per month.
In partnership with GeneMe UK, official distributor of the FRANKD test, the airline trial is offering crew and pilots a rapid Point of Care Covid-19 RT LAMP test. In independent laboratory tests, FRANKD is shown to be 100% specific and 97% sensitive to detecting SARS-CoV-2. Through integration with the digital ID platform Yoti, the test process is fast, secure, paperless and does not require a lab. After a swab is taken on site, results are processed and delivered on the Yoti app within 30 minutes.
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Corneel Koster, chief customer and operating officer, Virgin Atlantic said, “…we want to utilise technology that is relevant, accurate and available to keep our teams and customers healthy and safe. While the Covid-19 testing landscape evolves, we continue to be in discussions with multiple providers offering different technologies to guarantee the best solution possible.”
Koster said that the airline is continuously urging UK and US governments to introduce pre departure testing, to remove the need for quarantine and to minimise travel restrictions. As long as the UK’s 14 day quarantine is in place, demand for travel will not return, he added.
