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United Airlines trials new Covid-free flight
United Airlines is trialling a new Covid-free flight from New York to London this week.
The airline plans to run the trial for a month with the first flight scheduled to land at Heathrow Airport on Tuesday morning.
The Covid-free pilot trial will be free for all passengers over the age of two with rapid testing taking place at New York’s Newark airport.
The airline has converted its United Club, near gate C93, into an onsite testing facility so that every passenger will receive their results before the flight takes off. Passengers who test positive for COVID-19 will be isolated and not be allowed to board.
Josh Earnest, United Airlines’ chief communication officer, said: "The benefit right now is that people – for free – can have the peace of mind knowing when they board the plane that everyone else who’s on that plane has recently tested negative for COVID-19."
The Transport Secretary Grant Shapps and the Prime Minister are under growing pressure from business leaders and the aviation industry to reopen the route.
The London to New York route is one of the busiest in the world and is one of the most profitable journeys for airlines such as Virgin Atlantic and British Airways.
Currently travellers arriving in the UK from the US must quarantine for 14 days.
By Louise Longman, Contributing Editor (UK)
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