Etihad Airways included PCR Corona tests for all flights departing from Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH), United Arab Emirates, with the exception of services to China.
The airline will offer testing through the Life Medical Diagnostic Center (Life Dx) in the United Arab Emirates starting from October 1 through to December 31, 2020, Etihad said in a statement.
Economy travelers will have the opportunity to complete the PCR tests 48 to 96 hours before departure through numerous Life Dx facilities across UAE, while business and first-class passengers will have the option to test from home.
These rules apply to everyone leaving from Abu Dhabi, except for passengers flying to China subject to specific testing protocols, who can only use the Chinese approved Abu Dhabi Health Services Company (SEHA) facilities to get tested.
According to the statement, all travelers must present a negative COVID-19 test within 48 hours prior to departure from Abu Dhabi as per government orders.
But it seems that the testing might be just the tip of the iceberg as the company’s CEO, Tony Douglas, has also forecasted wellness certification to become a mandatory part of air travel in the near future.
“In the same way with security standards after Lockerbie, after 9/11, and with the liquid bomb threats, that saw global aviation security standards harmonized everywhere, I forecast that that’s what will happen with wellness as well,” Douglas told the CNBC during the Global Aerospace Summit on September 28, 2020.