Airlines Covid protocols require travelers to test negative for the coronavirus before boarding flights bound for JFK International Airport.
Delta Air Lines, Virgin Atlantic, and British Airways announced that travelers must be Covid negative before traveling. The new Airlines Covid protocols are in response to a request from New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo as officials struggle to contain a highly contagious new strain of Covid-19 that is worsening in the U.K.
Meanwhile, British Airways announced that the same procedures will start Tuesday. Virgin Atlantic and its partner Delta said the new requirements will start Thursday.
“All Delta customers traveling from the U.K. to New York will be required to take a PCR test 72 hours prior to departure adding another layer of safety when they travel,” a Delta spokesman said in a statement. “Delta will work closely with the Governor’s office in the coming days to implement his request.”
The airline added that the travelers scheduled to leave the U.K. in the coming days should monitor Delta’s website for updates.
More than two dozen countries have banned flights or restricted access from people traveling from Britain due to the new strain of the virus.
U.S. and foreign carriers have already ended their international service because of the pandemic and travel restrictions. Since March, the U.S. has prohibited most foreigners who have been in the European Union or Britain from arriving in the country.
This week, there are 122 flights that will take place between the U.K. and the U.S., down from 752 last year, according to flight data provider OAG.
U.S. airlines Covid protocols
Meanwhile, American Airlines Covid tests for U.S. travel have been introduced in December. Results will help travelers avoid quarantines as long as two weeks. The initiative for American Airlines Covid tests, which cost $129 each, is the latest from the airlines to attract more travelers. Air travel slowed down due to quarantine requirements. American Airlines explained that the testing plan is the first from a U.S. airline that serves the domestic market.
LetsGetChecked is the company that provides the American Airlines Covid tests. LetsGetChecked advises travelers to get their tests at least five days before their flight.
Customers with bookings to any of the states that ask travelers to quarantine, such as New York, Massachusetts, and Maryland, can have their nasal swab test done at home. Once the test is taken, results can be released within 48 hours, the company said.
In October, United Airlines started giving free Covid-19 tests for passengers of select routes in a move to boost traffic and initiate international cooperation.
Aaron McMillan, managing director of operations policy and support at United, said: “We firmly believe that testing is a key component of a multi-layered approach to safely opening travel across the globe.”
“The pilot program will guarantee that essentially everyone on board just tested negative for Covid-19,” McMillan added.
According to the airline, it will run the program for four weeks beginning November 16 on United Flight 14, which takes off from Newark Liberty International Airport to London Heathrow three times weekly.
