Starting on 19 December, Delta will offer flights between Atlanta and Rome on which all passengers and crew will have tested negative for Covid, enabling them to avoid quarantine on arrival in Italy.
Passengers will need to have tested negative through a PCR test taken up to 72 hours before departure or a rapid test administered in Atlanta before boarding or on arrival in Rome.
A decree from the Italian government allowing this is expected shortly and will mean European and US citizens can avoid quarantine.
“Carefully designed COVID-19 testing protocols are the best path for resuming international travel safely and without quarantine until vaccinations are widely in place,” said Steve Sear, Delta president, international.
“Safety is our core promise – it’s at the centre of this pioneering testing effort and it’s the foundation of our standards for cleanliness and hygiene to help customers feel confident when they fly Delta.
“The State of Georgia and the Italian Government have demonstrated leadership in testing protocols and practices that can safely reopen international travel without quarantine requirements,” Sear added.
Delta has engaged expert advisors from Mayo Clinic to establish the protocols for the new trial.
“Based on the modelling we have conducted, when testing protocols are combined with multiple layers of protection, including mask requirements, proper social distancing and environmental cleaning, we can predict that the risk of Covid-19 infection – on a flight that is 60 per cent full – should be nearly one in a million,” said Henry Ting, chief value officer, Mayo Clinic.
British Airways and American as well as United have launched transatlantic testing trials recently.