British Airways will be the first airline to perform Covid-19 test with result in 25 seconds
A Covid-19 test with results in 25 seconds: this is the novelty that British Airways has studied for its [...]
British Airways
Oneworld
LHR
A Covid-19 test with result in 25 seconds: this is the news that British Airways studied for its passengers.
In this article:
While many tests can take up to 48 hours to give a result, the British flag carrier has decided to (drastically) reduce the waiting time. Starting in mid-May, it is in fact the world's first carrier to offer Covid-19 testing with results in 25 seconds. The antigen test in question is a patent signed Canary Global and stands as a small revolution in the aviation industry.
How the Covid-19 test works with result in 25 seconds
The test used by British Airways is a ultra rapid and noninvasive digital antigenic test, which uses the saliva and has excellent reliability: sensitivity of 98% and specificity of 100% in symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals with SARS-CoV-2. Users (passengers and flight crew) take a sample of their saliva and place it in a disposable container. They shake it and insert it into a reusable digital reader. This, connected to a Bluetooth-enabled device, typically a smartphone, returns the result in the form of notification In the appropriate app.
The name of this test is Pelican and it is able to Identify positivity to all variants. So much so that it has recently been approved for use in the United Kingdom and Europe (while in the United States it is being evaluated). British Airways is now the first airline in the world to test it, initially among flight crew and then extending to passengers. For the first period, the test results will be compared to those of the standard test. If the trial is then successful, carrier CEO Sean Doyle hopes to also use it for those passengers who are required to have a negative test in order to travel.
"Ever since reopenings in travel began, we have been committed to finding easy and convenient testing solutions to help our customers travel again, whether for business, family reunions or tourism," Doyle explained.
Will rapid testing be the future of travel?
Will the Covid-19 test with 25-second result be used as a matter of practice, in the coming months or years? Experts are skeptical. Antigenic tests are not considered as reliable as PCR tests, although they are much cheaper, easier to use, and provide results more quickly. However, they are recognized in the UK: those who enter the territory can prove negativity to the swab or to such a test.
Canary Global, the company that owns the Pelican patent, is currently in contact with other airlines but also with hotel chains and with event organizers to expand the use of the test. Not to mention, a test with this level of reliability and speed could also prove very useful in the reopening of schools and large businesses.
After all, the world needs a restart. And ultrafast testing is a great start.
British Airways Joins IATA Travel Pass
Covid test aside, June 1, British Airways began the trial of the IATA Travel Pass on the routes London Heathrow - Geneva e London Heathrow - Zurich. Passengers can download the app (free of charge) to their smartphone, enter their passport details and vaccination certificate, if any. If they are not vaccinated, they can book directly through the app a swab at one of the contracted centers: the center itself will then upload the result to the app.
IATA Travel Pass is thus added to the digital travel app VeriFLY, which British Airways uses on routes to the United States, France, Ireland, Barbados, the Bahamas and Canada and on all incoming international flights.
