Lufthansa to link Covid-19 tests with tickets in effort to avoid quarantine

Lufthansa is to offer passengers Covid-19 tests at Frankfurt airport that provide results within hours and can be linked to individual tickets in an effort to allow travellers to avoid quarantine. The airline has joined forces with German company Centogene, which opened a walk-in testing centre at the airport on Monday that it said would act as a “blueprint to opening international borders”. Passengers coming through the hub will be able to pay for a test that provides a result within two to three hours, and that will soon be integrated with Lufthansa boarding passes. The procedure would give customers “a comfortable opportunity to test themselves for flights abroad or a stay in Germany, to avoid quarantine”, said Björn Becker, a director at Lufthansa.  He added that for travellers from Germany to countries such as the United Arab Emirates, the pre-flight test would be sufficient, while Chinese authorities might require an additional test upon landing.  The carrier said it would consider offering a similar service at its other big hub in Munich.  However, Lufthansa customers wishing to use Centogene’s service at Frankfurt airport will have to pay up to E139 for the fast-track test, and an additional E9 to tie the verified result to their passport details. A slower test, which provides a result in six to eight hours, is also available for E59.<br/>