Governments Need to Embrace Efficient, Low-Cost COVID-19 Tests, Air Transport Group Says

Governments Need to Embrace Efficient, Low-Cost COVID-19 Tests, Air Transport Group Says

March 30, 2021 Jim Byers

Governments around the world need to embrace best-in-class rapid antigen COVID-19 tests to boost travel around the world and protect tourism jobs, the International Air Transport Association says.

Citing a new study by OXERA and Edge Health, a study commissioned by the association, the IATA said antigen tests are accurate, convenient and cost-efficient.

Accurate: The best antigen tests provide broadly comparable results to PCR tests in accurately identifying infected travellers. The BinaxNOW antigen test, for example, misses just one positive case in 1000 travellers (based on an infection rate of 1% among travelers). And it has similarly comparable performance to PCR tests in levels of false negatives.

Convenient: Pprocessing times for antigen tests are 100 times faster than for PCR tests.

Cost-efficient: Antigen tests are, on average, 60% cheaper than PCR tests.

“Restarting international aviation will energize the economic recovery from COVID-19,” said Alexandre de Juniac, IATA’s Director General and CEO. “Along with vaccines, testing will play a critical role in giving governments the confidence to re-open their borders to travelers. For governments, the top priority is accuracy. But travelers will also need tests to be convenient and affordable. The OXERA-Edge Health report tells us that the best-in-class antigen tests can tick all these boxes. It’s important for governments to consider these findings as they make plans for a re-start.”

Canadian airlines and others in the industry have made the same point.

Currently, anyone flying into Canada must show negative results from a PCR-style test before they fly. After landing in Canada, they have to get another PCR test and then isolate at a quarantine hotel for up to three days while they await test results.

“We have said from the outset that a combination of testing and shorter quarantines would be much more effective in managing COVID-19 and protecting communities than 14-day quarantines and other blanket travel restrictions for everyone,” Air Canada spokesperson Peter Fitzpatrick said in an interview with the Toronto Star last month.

Mike McNaney, president of the National Airlines Council of Canada, has stated that Canadian airlines need a recovery plan that is “based on science and safety. Rapid antigen testing needs to be a part of that.”

“The choice of a rapid test would be a real boost to the global travel and international business community, and our research shows it can be as effective as other testing regimes and as effective as a ten-day quarantine,” said Michele Granatstein, Partner at Oxera and Head of its Aviation Practice.

IATA said that testing requirements around the world are currently fragmented, which is confusing to travellers. Moreover, many governments do not allow rapid testing.

“If the only options available for travelers are PCR tests, these come with significant costs disadvantages and inconvenience. And in some parts of the world, PCR testing capacity is limited, with first priority correctly given to clinical use,” the association noted.

“Travellers need options,” said de Juniac. “Including antigen testing among acceptable tests will certainly give strength to the recovery. And the EU’s specification of acceptable antigen tests offers a good baseline for wider international harmonization of acceptable standards.

“We now need to see governments implement these recommendations. The goal is to have a clear set of testing options that are medically effective, financially accessible, and practically available to all prospective travellers.”