BA, American Airlines plan voluntary COVID-19 testing plan

LONDON (AP) — British Airways said Tuesday that it will start testing passengers flying from the U.S. to London’s Heathrow Airport for COVID-19 in an effort to persuade the British government it should scrap rules requiring most international travelers to quarantine for 14 days.

The airline says the pilot program will offer voluntary testing starting Nov. 25 in partnership with American Airlines for passengers flying to Heathrow from New York, Los Angeles and Dallas.

Passengers will be tested 72 hours before departure, on arrival at Heathrow and again three days after arrival. British Airways says its goal is to show that a single test 72 hours before takeoff is enough to ensure travelers aren’t carrying COVID-19, allowing authorities to end the quarantine requirement.

The pre-departure test will be conducted at home by travelers, who will self-collect a nasal sample under the supervision of medical professionals by videoconference, BA said. The second test, which happens on arrival at Heathrow, will be a nasal swab conducted by health workers at the airport. The third test is a saliva sample taken alone by passengers three days after arrival in the U.K.

Airlines are calling on the U.K. government to scrap the 14-day quarantine requirement, which they say is killing the travel industry and slowing economic growth. The quarantine rules apply to anyone traveling to the U.K. from a country that isn’t on the government’s “safe” list, making most business and holiday travel unrealistic. Countries are often added to the list with just a few days notice, increasing the uncertainty for travelers.

“Without a pre-flight testing regime, we will be locked in a stop-start cycle where consumers are unclear about what the rules of the game are, and won’t be in a position to travel with confidence,” BA Chief...