(TAN): Virgin Atlantic has announced a free, rapid, point of care, pre-departure lateral flow antigen test at London Heathrow Airport for customers flying to Barbados or onwards to Antigua and Grenada on selected flights from December 9, as part of an airline-led trial to gather vital data on the logistics and effectiveness of pre-departure testing.
Virgin Atlantic’s trial initiative, six weeks in duration, will further demonstrate the deliverability of a pre-departure testing regime at scale, offering real-world data for these popular leisure routes as UK travel restrictions for non-essential travel ease as of December 3.
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Industry-led trials at London Heathrow support the latest independent analysis by Oxera and Edge Health which shows that all forms of passenger testing would be more effective than the current 14-day quarantine. The UK Government confirmed plans this week for a ‘test and release’ strategy for international arrivals to England, ending quarantine after five days and presentation of a negative Covid-19 test.
Shai Weiss, Chief Executive Officer, Virgin Atlantic said, “The new UK test to release scheme is a vital first step in re-opening the skies, but we must now move rapidly towards a single test pre-departure regime in order to ensure the survival of UK aviation and protect 500,000 jobs reliant on the sector. Our Heathrow-Barbados testing trial, in close collaboration with partners including Collinson, London Heathrow and the Barbados Ministry of Tourism & International Transport, will gather vital data on the efficacy of a pre-departure testing regime to safely replace quarantine.”
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The customers included in the trial will be contacted by Virgin Atlantic for the simple nasal and throat swab to be administered up to 1 hour 45 minutes before departure by a registered nurse at the Pre-Departure Collinson and Swissport Terminal 2 facility, taking no more than five minutes. Customers will receive their digital and printed test result within less than 30 minutes, proceeding to security and boarding following confirmation of a negative result. with information on the pre-departure test.
The first flight in the trial will be VS186 departing Wednesday December 9. Selected Virgin Atlantic flights from London Heathrow to Barbados operate as a ‘double drop’ service, stopping first at Barbados Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI) then onwards to Antigua (ANU) or Grenada (GND).
