Italy to Activate ‘Covid-tested’ Safe Air Corridor for Flights from US

Aeroporti di Roma has been running Covid-tested Rome-Milan flights since September 16. Photo source: ADR

Fiumicino in Rome, Italy, will be the first airport in Europe to activate “Covid-tested” safe air corridors, on flights coming from the United States in cooperation with Alitalia and Delta Air Lines, excluding quarantine for passengers, the airport’s manager Aeroporti di Roma (ADR) said on Thursday.

“Especially with the worsening of the epidemic crisis, it is necessary to assess and implement new and additional control systems at departure, which can inhibit the movement of infected people and which can be effective alternatives to the quarantine measures currently in force,” ADR said in an announcement.

The new travel protocols, which will operate on a trial basis on flights from the United States to Fiumicino, as provided in the Order recently signed by Italy’s ministers of health, transportation and foreign affairs, will be progressively offered to passengers starting in December.

Travellers arriving from New York JFK, Newark and Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta airports, on Covid-tested flights, will not be subject to the quarantine obligation, having performed at least a molecular or antigenic test within 48 hours before boarding and repeating, for additional safety, a rapid antigenic test upon arrival at Fiumicino.

The pilot phase aims at assessing the effectiveness and functionality of the new travel procedures, looking at making it widely available in the summer 2021 season.

“The Order includes the launching of the Covid Tested flights between Munich, Frankfurt and Rome Fiumicino aiming at ensuring that the new travel procedure could be tested within the European Union as well,” ADR said.

ADR has been running Covid-tested Rome-Milan flights since September 16.

Photo source: ADR

Also, since mid-August, a Covid-19 rapid testing centre has been active at Terminal 3 (Arrivals area) at Fiumicino, with results in less than 30 minutes. A “drive-through” testing facility is also in service at the Fiumicino Long-Stay car park, which is available to citizens as well as passengers, operating 24 hours a day.