IndiGo To Offer Pre-Flight COVID-19 Tests In India And 5 More Countries

Leading low-cost carrier IndiGo on Monday announced that it will provide pre-flight COVID-19 tests for its passengers in India and 5 more countries.

The airline has partnered with Stemz Healthcare which is a leading healthcare provider for tourists, immigrants, and working professionals.

“Customers can opt for a home visit or choose a lab visit with over 200+ collection centres in India. The (testing) service is also available in other countries including UAE, Oman, Qatar, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia,” IndiGo’s said in a press release.

To book a test, passengers can take appointments online on the IndiGo website through a co-branded URL page based on their travel date, the release noted.

“As per travel guidelines, several states and countries require a COVID-19 RT-PCR test to be undertaken within a stipulated time frame before a customer board a flight,” said Sanjay Kumar, Chief Strategy and Revenue Officer of IndiGo.

Stemz Healthcare is the largest aggregator of ICMR approved laboratories for COVID-19 RT-PCR tests in India, the press release further said.

Scheduled international flights have been suspended in India since March 23 due to the coronavirus-triggered lockdown.

However, special international passenger flights have been operating in India under Vande Bharat Mission since May and under bilateral air bubble arrangements formed between India and other countries since July.

India has announced Phase 7 of Vande Bharat Mission and the national carrier Air India will operate over 260 flights that connect India to China, Singapore, Sri Lanka, Adelaide, and Sydney in Australia, Kuwait, Oman, Kenya, Ethiopia, Myanmar, Egypt, Italy, and Saudi Arabia in this phase of VBM.

Apart from the Vande Bharat Mission, India has signed an air bubble agreement with Bangladesh, Oman, Bhutan, Kenya, Afghanistan, Bahrain, Canada, France, Germany, Iraq, Japan, the Maldives, Nigeria, Qatar, the UAE, the UK, Ukraine, and the USA.

Also Read: VBM Phase 7: Air India Announces Flights For 14 Countries Under Air Bubble