Virgin Atlantic will begin rapid testing of passengers traveling to Barbados, Antigua or Grenada.
Starting December 9, Virgin Atlantic customers, flying to Barbados or further to Antigua and Grenada, will perform a rapid COVID-19 test. It will be free of charge before departure from London Heathrow Airport.
Virgin Atlantic will launch a rapid passenger testing program to gather vital data about the logistics and effectiveness of the tests before departure.
The Virgin Atlanci program will run for 6 weeks
With the help of quick tests carried out before departure, the program will collect real data to analyze the situation in the UK, especially since the restrictions will relax from 3 December.
Studies at London Heathrow Airport 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 free test offered by Virgin Atlantic will be done by a medical professional up to one hour and 45 minutes before departure.
Customers will receive the test result in digital format and printed in less than 30 minutes. If the test result is negative, passengers will be able to continue the boarding process.
Working with the Government of Barbados, Virgin Atlantic will seek to add the results of this study to those already in place at Heathrow Airport to understand the effectiveness of pre-trip testing.
The results of the Virgin Atlantic program will help eliminate quarantine
Barbados is on the UK Green List due to the low level of Community cases of Covid-19. The results of the program will support the reduction of quarantine upon arrival, so that customers can enjoy the holiday, while ensuring that destinations remain safe.
If a customer decides that they do not wish to participate in the Virgin Atlantic testing, they will be able to book another Virgin Atlantic flight for free.
If a passenger receives a positive result after the test, he will be able to make another reservation or cancel his trip, at no additional cost.
The first flight tested will be VS186 which will take off on Wednesday, December 9, from London Heathrow Airport, bound for Barbados.
This Virgin Atlantic flight operates on a "double drop" basis, stopping first at Barbados Grantley Adams International Airport (BGI), then at Antigua Airport (ANU) and Grenada Airport (GND).