Which UK airports offer holiday coronavirus tests and how much do they cost?
CORONAVIRUS testing is being rolled out across UK airports for passengers who need a test to travel.
Here is everything you need to know about which airports offer the services as well as how much they cost.
London Heathrow
The largest testing facility in the UK has just opened at London Heathrow, open to the public and to travellers.
It is run by ExpressTest who provide PCR swab tests, and tests cost £80 for passengers and £99 for the general public.
Those testing negative will be emailed a ‘Fit to Fly’ certificate that is authorised by a doctor, along with their test result.
London Heathrow were the first to launch their own testing services after partnering with Collinson and Swissport.
The LAMP rapid saliva test must be booked online, with results in 20 minutes.
Costing £80, passengers can have the tests at Terminals 2 and 5.
The Sofitel London Heathrow hotel also has their own test and sleep deal at Terminal 5, which includes an overnight stay and coronavirus test for £179.
London Gatwick
Gatwick Airport is offering tests to passengers for £60 if they need one to enter a country.
Also open to the public, anyone needing a test is advised to give between 48 and 96 hours notice.
It is also run by ExpressTest who provide PCR swab tests.
The testing facilities are at the Long Stay Car Park at the South Terminal.
London Stansted
London Stansted has launched a full range of tests for passengers heading abroad.
Working with Collinson, these include £79 for 90-minute-result LAMP tests and £99 for PCR tests which offers results between 24 and 48 hours.
They also offer antibody tests for £40 and antigen tests for £50 tests.
Airport testing prices through Collinson start at £40 for Antibody tests, £50 for Antigen tests, £79 for RT-LAMP tests and £99 for RT-PCR tests.
The testing centre is at the Terminal 1 Meet and Greet office.
Manchester
Run by the same company as London Stansted, Manchester offers the same testing facilities.
The testing centre is at the Short Stay Orange area.
East Midlands
Also run by the same company as London Stansted, East Midlands Airport offers the same testing facilities.
The testing centre is at the Short Stay 1 area.
What are the different coronavirus tests?
- RT PCR (Reverse-Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction) - This is the most common test and is accepted by most countries.
- RT Lamp (Reverse-Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification) - This test is a quicker and cheaper option but is not accepted by all countries.
- Rapid Antigen - This test is also a fast option but also not accepted by all countries.
- Antibody - This test only confirms if you had coronavirus at some point in the past.
Newcastle
Working with NPH Group and MDNA Life Sciences, Newcastle Airport offer PCR tests for passengers travelling abroad.
The tests cost £99 but includes free parking, and results are given between 36 and 48 hours.
The testing centre is located at the Premium Meet and Greet building.
Edinburgh
Also being run by ExpressTest, similar to London Gatwick, Edinburgh Airport is offering coronavirus tests for £60 to passengers.
Anyone needing a test is advised to give between 48 and 96 hours notice.
Those testing negative will be emailed a ‘Fit to Fly’ certificate that is authorised by a doctor, along with their test result.
The testing facilities are at the Fast Park area of the car park.
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Many airlines have also launched services for pre-flight tests, including Wizz Air and easyJet.
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The 14-day quarantine enforced in the UK after travelling to a country not on the travel corridor list has been reduced to just five days, with a test on day one and day five.
However, as test results take up to 48 hours, many are finding that they are instead having to isolate for seven days.