First COVID-free Transatlantic flight raises hopes of London-New York travel corridor

The first coronavirus-free transatlantic flight is scheduled to land at Heathrow on Tuesday morning amid pressure to reopen the busy business route. A new pilot scheme by United has raised the hopes that ministers will give the go-ahead to a crucial travel corridor between London and New York. As part of the month-long scheme, the carrier will guarantee that all passengers do not have the COVID-19 virus. Findings will be shared with officials in the UK and US once the four-week trial is up. The United trial will be free for all passengers over the age of two and rapid testing will take place at New York's Newark airport. UK airlines are working with Heathrow on their own COVID-free pilot. "We believe the ability to provide fast, same-day COVID-19 testing will play a vital role in safely reopening travel around the world and navigating quarantines and travel restrictions, particularly to key international destinations like London," said Toby Enqvist, chief customer officer for United. The US is considered a “red country” by the UK government. At the moment, Americans must quarantine for 14 days when traveling to the UK as the US. The hope is that by sharing the results of the trial, governments on both sides of the Atlantic give the travel corridor the green light.<br/>