Passengers were able to travel on a Delta flight from the US to Europe without quarantining on Tuesday, assuming they passed three coronavirus tests.
The flight from Atlanta to Amsterdam, the first between the two locales that does not require quarantine since the onset of the pandemic, required passengers to be negative from a PCR coronavirus test in the previous five days, and receive a negative result from a rapid coronavirus test at the airport the day of the flight. A second PCR test is then administered upon arrival, and passengers are not required to quarantine once receiving a negative result.
Delta is also launching a similar program for flights between Atlanta and Rome this week. Passengers bound for Rome are required to take a PCR test within 72 of the flight in addition to being administered a rapid test at the airport. Travelers then must also receive a negative result via a rapid test upon arrival in Rome.
“Air travel is the backbone of the global economy. In normal times, it supports more than 87 million jobs and contributes to $3.5 trillion in GDP worldwide,” said Perry Cantarutti, Delta’s Senior Vice President -Alliances and International. “The arrival of a vaccine is fantastic news, but it will take time for it to become widely available around the world. It’s for this reason we have worked tirelessly with the authorities and our partners to create a blueprint for travel corridors that will enable air travel to safely resume.”
The flights are intended for those traveling for essential reasons, such as for certain specified work, health and education reasons.