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LONDON, April 20 (Reuters) - The head of global airline
industry body IATA has hit out at the high cost of COVID-19
testing, accusing providers of profiteering from travel, and
calling for the industry to challenge whether PCR tests are
necessary.
European airlines are counting on a travel rebound this
summer after months of COVID-19 restrictions left them
struggling with minimal revenues and huge new debts taken on to
survive the pandemic.
But any demand for PCR tests that can cost more than the
short flights themselves threatens the recovery.
"We're clearly seeing evidence of profiteering by people who
have jumped on the testing bandwagon," Willie Walsh, IATA's new
director general, said at a virtual industry conference on
Tuesday.
He said that governments had mandated PCR tests and were
then charging value added tax on the cost of the testing, a
scenario which he said needed to be challenged.
"The cost of testing should be significantly lower than it
is. I think we've got to challenge whether PCR testing is
necessary," he said.
PCR tests, the so-called gold standard test, can cost around
100 pounds ($140) in Britain.
Airline bosses, led by easyJet Chief Executive Johan
Lundgren, say PCR tests will make travel too expensive for many
and are calling for authorities to instead allow travellers to
use lateral flow or antigen tests which are much cheaper and
give results more quickly.
"We can’t have a situation where only the wealthy are able
to travel. That would be a shame and a disgrace and everyone in
the industry should be pushing back," Walsh said.
Walsh said that lateral flow and rapid antigen tests are
"just as effective" in the context where there are other
measures in place to help manage risk.
($1 = 0.7150 pounds)
(Reporting by Laurence Frost and Sarah Young; editing by
Michael Holden and Kate Holton)
