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Lufthansa starts full-flight Covid testing

The first Lufthansa flight carrying passengers tested negative at the airport for Covid-19 has flown between Munich and Hamburg.

The Thursday service marked the start of Covid-19 antigen rapid testing on two daily flights between the two German cities.

Once the test was completed, passengers received their test results via push message and e-mail.

All test results on the second daily flight, from Hamburg to Munich, were also negative.

The airline is offering free Covid-19 testing before departure in co-operation with the two airports and biotech companies Centogene and the Medicover Group’s medical care centre, MVZ Martinsried.

Alternatively, passengers can present a negative PCR test taken no later than 48 hours prior to departure.

Ola Hansson, chief executive of Lufthansa Hub Munich, said: “We want to again expand the worldwide travel options for our customers while maintaining the highest hygiene and safety standards.

“Successful testing of entire flights can be an important key to this. With the test flights we have successfully launched today, we are gaining important knowledge and experience in handling rapid tests,”

Munich airport chief exceutive Jost Lammers added: “The trial run with the rapid antigen tests on selected Lufthansa flights is a positive and important signal for the industry.

“In addition to the extensive hygiene measures that airports and airlines already have in place for passengers, these tests offer an additional level of safety.

“This could mean that in future – if the appropriate international agreements are reached – cross-border travel without the obligatory quarantine obligation could once again be possible.”

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