American Airlines, British Airways and oneworld® have teamed up with researchers at the Oxford Internet Institute (OII), the University of Oxford,  in the review and analysis of survey data from the COVID-19 testing trial recently launched by the airlines and alliance.

The project ‘Trust, Testing and Travel, Technology Use, Traveller Knowledge and Compliance with COVID-19 Health Rules’, involves OII researchers analyzing aggregated, non-personal survey data from air travelers on their behavior and sentiment towards the trial testing regime.

The airlines and the alliance have created a task force to evaluate the results of the trial. The task force, comprising oneworld member airline representatives and independent medical experts, will work with Oxford Internet Institute, to consider the results and implications of the survey data from participants in the trial.

Professor Phil Howard, Director, Oxford Internet Institute, said: “The University of Oxford is already playing a leading role in the fight against COVID-19 with development of a vaccine. I’m delighted that researchers at the OII will be working to analyze and review survey data from this important trial so that we understand more about the options available for safer air travel.”

In a joint statement, American Airlines, British Airways and oneworld said: “We are pleased to be working with one of the world’s leading academic institutions to review the results of our testing trial passenger survey, which we hope will help provide governments on both sides of the Atlantic with the evidence they need to unlock travel and kick-start the global economy. Moving away from quarantines in favor of comprehensive testing programs has the potential to markedly boost customer confidence in air travel.”

Since the trial began on November 25, 2020, more than 500 customers have registered for the trial on select flights operated by American Airlines and British Airways, from the United States to London Heathrow (LHR). Many customers have expressed interest in having the testing trials expanded to more routes.

As a result, the trial has been expanded to include British Airways’ flight BA208 departing Miami (MIA) to LHR, and flight BA112 departing New York’s John F. Kennedy (JFK) Airport to LHR.  This increases the total number of daily flights in the trial to five across four gateways, ensuring a comprehensive and wide ranging set of data from different parts of the United States.

American Airlines, British Airways and oneworld® have launched an optional coronavirus (COVID-19) medical-based testing trial on select flights from cities in the United States to London Heathrow (LHR), in a combined effort to scientifically demonstrate how COVID-19 testing can reopen international travel and remove the need for passengers to quarantine on arrival.

The free tests will initially be offered to eligible customers booked on American Airlines Flight AA50 departing Dallas Fort Worth International Airport (DFW) to LHR; British Airways Flight BA114 departing New York’s John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) to LHR; and British Airways Flight BA268 from Los Angeles (LAX) to LHR, beginning Nov. 25. The test will be expanded to American Airlines Flight AA106 from JFK to LHR, with a launch date to be communicated.

Eligible customers booked on flights that are part of the trial will be contacted by American Airlines and British Airways with instructions on how to volunteer. Each customer participating in the trial will take three tests in conjunction with the journey. If a customer tests positive, they should reschedule or cancel their travel.

The first test, to be taken 72 hours before departure from the U.S., is a convenient at-home RT-PCR test provided by LetsGetChecked. Customers will self-collect a nasal sample, under the supervision of medical professionals via a virtual visit.

After landing at LHR, participating customers will proceed to their second test at the airport. The LAMP test, provided by Collinson, involves the collection of a nasal sample by a medical professional. After the test is completed, a test kit for the third test will be provided to the customer. The third test kit offers an at-home testing option through the self-collection of a saliva sample which is taken three days after arrival in to the United Kingdom.

The three-test approach aims to validate a customer’s negative status for COVID-19 throughout the travel journey and will provide insight into the most effective and practical testing interval. The third test is intended to further confirm the results of the first two tests, to demonstrate that one or two tests will be sufficient to allow travel to safely restart.

A task force comprising oneworld member airline representatives and independent medical experts are overseeing the implementation of the trial. American Airlines, British Airways and oneworld will closely monitor customer participation. The task force will share aggregated results with the U.S. and UK Governments and other stakeholders to demonstrate the essential role that COVID-19 testing programmes can play in safely restarting travel.

Trade between the UK and U.S. totals more than $262 billion a year, which airlines are critical to facilitating. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, together American Airlines and British Airways flew to more than 30 destinations in the U.S. from London. Today, the carriers are flying a fraction of that figure. Previously, the carriers operated up to 111 flights a week from London to New York; now they operate 14* flights per week combined between the two cities.

Based on current UK Government policies, international travelers arriving in the UK from the U.S. are required to self-isolate for 14 days even if they have tested negative for COVID-19. The tests being used as part of the trial will not impact UK National Health Service testing capacity.

British Airways and American Airlines have worked with Heathrow on implementation of the trial in to Terminal 5, and as a result Heathrow is now exploring whether trials can be introduced on more routes between the airport and the US.

Chairman and Chief Executive of American Airlines Doug Parker said, “American has already successfully introduced a pre-flight COVID-19 testing programme for customers travelling from the U.S. to international destinations across the Caribbean and Latin America. We have received tremendous feedback from our customers in response to testing, as it provides peace of mind for safe and enjoyable travel.

“The UK is a critically important business and leisure destination that our customers want to visit. We believe the results provided by this trial will be vital for reopening transatlantic travel safely.”

Chief Executive of British Airways Sean Doyle said, “We know people want to travel but our skies remain all but closed and the UK is being left behind. Major economies like Germany are adopting testing to replace quarantine.

“We need the UK Government to introduce a system that allows travelers to take reliable, affordable tests before departure, so they are confident that fellow passengers are COVID-free. For people arriving from countries with high infection rates, a further test on arrival should then release them from quarantine.

“We are confident this approach would open routes, stimulate economies and get people traveling with confidence. The UK’s economic recovery depends on the swift reopening of its skies.”

Chief Executive of oneworld Rob Gurney said, “We believe that COVID-19 testing will play an important role in safely restarting international travel. A comprehensive testing program will provide governments the confidence to reduce or waive quarantine requirements and safely reopen their economies to international visitors, while further assuring customers that their health and well-being are protected.”

Independent research into COVID-19 and travel

Data from industry body IATA suggests the risk of contracting COVID-19 on aircraft is extremely low, with just 44 cases of COVID-19 recorded as linked to flights, since the start of 2020. Over the same period some 1.2 billion passengers have travelled.

A study issued on 27 October by Harvard University’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health found that a robust, multi-layered strategy can effectively reduce the risk of exposure to COVID-19 during air travel. The study also found that the universal use of face coverings is the most essential part of a comprehensive set of measures to reduce COVID-19 transmission while traveling by air. The study also noted that to-date, the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has not confirmed a single case of viral transmission on a US plane.

Photo by Brandon Wade for American Airlines