UK: Gatwick boss calls for compulsory coronavirus test for passengers 48 hours before they fly

Passengers should be tested for coronavirus 48 hours before they board a flight once the lockdown is lifted, the Gatwick Airport boss has said. Gatwick CE Stewart Wingate hopes "health passports" which prove travellers are not infected with the virus will help jump-start the air industry. He has also suggested all passengers wear face masks during flights. Wingate said: "Whether these tests should be carried out in the airports or whether they would be better carried out in the communities are things that should be debated. For example, would it be better for a passenger to arrive at an airport with some sort of certification that said 'I have been checked over the last 48 hours and I am Covid-free?'” The government is currently looking at ways social distancing could be maintained when air travel resumes. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said Friday ministers were constantly reviewing rules on allowing passengers to enter the country without screenings. <br/>