United Airlines to provide Rapid COVID-19 Tests before You Fly
To make air travel safer for everyone, and limit quarantine requirements, United Airlines will be offering passengers rapid COVID-19 tests at the airport.
Earlier this week, the airline announced the COVID-19 testing for passengers headed to Hawaii from its hub in San Francisco. This is a pilot program that may be expanded to other locations.
credit: United Airlines
As an island, Hawaii has been virtually shut down to travel. An economically painful thing for an island state that relies so heavily on tourism.
All travelers, including residents returning home, to Hawaii have been subject to a mandatory 14-day quarantine. This is clearly not attractive to someone headed there for a vacation.
This new COVID-19 testing program from United may be just what the state’s tourism industry needs. If expanded, the program may help eliminate quarantine restrictions to other popular destinations.
But most importantly, the program by the airline will help stop the spread of the corona virus.
“Our new COVID testing program is another way we are helping customers meet their destinations’ entry requirements, safely and conveniently,” said Toby Enqvist, Chief Customer Officer at United.
“We’ll look to quickly expand customer testing to other destinations and U.S. airports later this year to complement our state-of-the-art cleaning and safety measures that include a mandatory mask policy, antimicrobial and electrostatic spraying and our hospital-grade HEPA air filtration systems.”
The testing program will begin on October 15 at the SFO airport. Passengers will have 2 COVID-19 testing options. A rapid test at the airport just before departure, or a mail-in test kit.
In a press release, the airline indicated that passengers will be able to schedule their rapid test online ahead of their travel date. At the airport, they will be tested for COVID-19 and can expect to receive their results in approximately 15 minutes.
For the mail-in option, United will send the passenger an option to receive a test kit 10 days prior to departure. The passenger would use the test kit at home and return it for analysis 72 hours prior to their flight. The kit should be sent via overnight mail, or can be dropped off to a drop box at the SFO airport.
United Airlines was the first carrier to offer this service in the US.
About the Author
