London City Airport partners with Collinson to expand COVID-19 testing facilities

UK. London City Airport has expanded its COVID-19 testing with a larger facility in partnership with travel medical services and experiences provider Collinson.

The new facility, less than a minute’s walk from the airport terminal, will have the capacity to undertake more than 200 tests an hour to meet increased demand when international travel is fully reopened.

Passengers will be offered a full range of government-approved COVID-19 tests and, for travellers returning from amber list countries, the London City facility will offer a same day ‘Test to Release’ service. This will enable passengers who receive a negative test result to end their quarantine on day five.

Tests are available to passengers flying from the airport and people looking for a convenient London location to take their test, before flying from another airport.

With government reviews of international travel approaching later this month, London City Airport and Collinson have collectively called for the Global Travel Taskforce (GTT) to consider changes before the traditional peak summer travel season.

According to the partners, the GTT should trust testing to allow travel in accordance with UK government guidelines. It should consider using the latest data to recognise the status of vaccinated travellers and facilitate safe travel for British holidaymakers to amber list countries where infection rates are low.

Also, the two companies have urged the GTT to follow the EU, where the European Commission is progressing with a Digital Covid Certificate that will be recognised by every member state. This will enable travellers to use proof of a vaccination or negative test result to travel safely within the EU from 1 July.

London City Airport CEO Robert Sinclair said: “We still believe there will be a summer getaway, and our investment in this new, larger testing facility is not only testament to that belief, but a demonstration of our commitment to making the London City passenger journey safe, straightforward, and as quick as possible.

“There is no doubt that the next government reviews are of vital importance. We need to put in place a framework that enables the reopening of international travel this summer. I would urge the government to consider what airports and airlines are doing across the world to keep passengers safe and to look to the many countries across Europe where real progress is being made.”

He added: “We believe there is a strong case to expand the green list in line with the latest scientific data, and recognise the status of vaccinated travellers with reduced testing and quarantine requirements, particularly for arrivals from amber list countries. This would boost the industry’s recovery and allow passengers to book their summer getaways with confidence.”

Collinson Joint CEO David Evans said: “In the UK, we’re lucky to have one of the most successful vaccine rollouts in the world, but we still have some of the most stringent testing and quarantining regimes when it comes to travelling at this time.

“When we launched our first testing facility in the UK, nearly a year ago, the goal was to get travel safely moving again, while giving passengers convenient access to the testing solutions they’d need to fly without needing to face lengthy quarantines after. That is still very much our goal today.”

He added: “This testing centre’s convenient onsite location next to London City’s terminal means that passengers can enjoy fast transit and safe and speedy journeys from London’s most central airport, whether travelling on the day or – as we’d recommend – pre-planning in advance.”

Under the new partnership between London City and Collinson, customers can order their test kit and book their appointment a minimum of three full working days prior to their UK departure.

Up to 72 hours before their return flight, customers complete their test via video consultation with a medical practitioner, who will verify the result and issue relevant certification via email. This is all completed in line with the current UK Government requirements for UK arrivals.

In addition to the expanded testing facility, London City’s health measures were recently approved as COVID-secure by the Civil Aviation Authority and Public Health England in line with the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s CART guidelines on safely restarting international travel. The airport was also awarded with the Airport International Council’s Global Health Accreditation Standard in October 2020.

Test prices start from £33 for a Lateral Flow Antigen and £66 for PCR tests. Same-day result LAMP tests are available for £68. All tests can be booked here.