Airline chiefs urge Covid-19 testing on transatlantic flights

US and European airlines wrote to the White House and EU on Tuesday, urging co-ordinated coronavirus testing to restore transatlantic flights. The CEs of United, Lufthansa, American Airlines and IAG, which owns British Airways, called on US VP Mike Pence and EU commissioner for home affairs Ylva Johansson to act as the industry struggles to recover from the effects of the pandemic. The airlines said they wanted US and European governments to adopt a co-ordinated Covid-19 testing programme for transatlantic flights, in order to “enhance safety and build confidence in critical transatlantic passenger air services”. “In addition to all the significant and unprecedented actions that governments and airlines are taking to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus, a co-ordinated Covid-19 testing programme could be key to providing confidence to permit services to resume without quarantine requirements or other entry restrictions,” the letter said. The intervention comes as airlines tentatively restart flying after entire fleets were grounded during lockdown. IAG CE Willie Walsh, who cosigned the letter, has said BA is “fighting for its survival” with passenger numbers set to take several years to fully recover. Airlines UK, which represents the industry, said it supported proposals for a testing regime. “Testing has to be safe, quick, accurate and cost-effective but we need to start looking at how it could be used to open up countries like the US, which is such a vital market for the UK,” it said. <br/>