Coronavirus testing before flying could become the norm as airlines try to boost confidence and woo travelers

With no federal mandates to follow, an increasing number of US airlines and airports are offering preflight coronavirus testing to boost public confidence in flying during the pandemic and help restore their businesses. The move mirrors what is already being done in countries around the world where preflight testing is seen as a way to reopen for business while helping control the spread of the virus. More than 100 countries now require proof of a negative coronavirus test for entry, and in some cases travelers with negative results are allowed to skip otherwise mandatory quarantines. The ICAO issued new recommendations last week that acknowledged the potential of such programs. The organization’s approach leaves the decision regarding quarantines up to individual nations, but it said it would publish a manual in coming days to help governments develop policies. “It was recognized that introducing testing could — if properly implemented in States that assess it as appropriate for their situation — reduce reliance on measures such as quarantines that restrict air travel or the movement of persons arriving in a country, and which evidence suggests is a disincentive to several important categories of travel,” the UN group said. Many international airports, including in Turkey and Germany, were among the first to offer such testing. In recent months, airlines and airports in the United States, including in Connecticut, Florida, New York and San Francisco, have begun offering the option as air travel continues to stall.<br/>