Abu Dhabi International Airport (AUH) has opened a rapid testing lab for COVID-19 in a bid to facilitate the resumption of air travel and assist with quarantine tracking procedures.
The new facility, opened by Abu Dhabi Airports in partnership with Pure Health and Tamouh Healthcare, is believed to be one of the region’s first PCR testing laboratory within an airport.
Designed to ensure the health, safety, and wellbeing of travellers and staff at Abu Dhabi International Airport, the new Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR) testing process is free for arriving passengers and is one of the fastest in the world, with results available in approximately 90 minutes.
It has the capacity to test more than 20,000 travellers and staff per day.
According to the airport, the PCR testing laboratory follows directives and the vision of His Excellency, Sheikh Mohammed bin Hamad bin Tahnoon Al Nahyan, chairman of Abu Dhabi Airports, to contain the spread of COVID-19 while continuing to deliver a smooth and seamless travel experience at Abu Dhabi International Airport.
Abu Dhabi Airports CEO, Shareef Hashim Al Hashmi, said: “The introduction of the RT-PCR COVID-19 testing is a milestone achievement in our ongoing efforts to facilitate the safe resumption of international air travel and support the recovery of the aviation industry.
“The fact that this is the first airport in the region to contain its own dedicated PCR testing laboratory is testament to our commitment at Abu Dhabi Airports to continuously innovate and look for new ways to deliver a safe, smooth and seamless travel experience for all our passengers.
“Developed in partnership with many of our stakeholders, it will not only enable passengers to confidently travel to Abu Dhabi, but significantly enhance the efficiency of our operations while supporting global efforts to curb the spread of COVID-19.”
All passengers arriving at Abu Dhabi International Airport through both terminals 1 and 3 will be tested at the AUH PCR testing facility, with the results shared by SMS and WhatsApp, as well as being available on the Alhosn mobile application.
Passengers who receive a negative PCR test and are from the list of ‘green’ countries, outlined by the government of Abu Dhabi, will not have to self-isolate.
Those not from the list of ‘green’ countries will have to self-isolate for a period of ten days, and will require a quarantine wristband fitted at the PCR testing tent attached to the airport.
Participants in the National Vaccination Programme and Phase III clinical trials who have an identification mark (letter E or golden star) on Al Hosn app are exempted from self-quarantine procedures.
While passengers transiting through the airport will not be tested prior to departing for their final destinations.
The airport notes that the new lab is the latest in a comprehensive range of new initiatives designed to protect the health and safety of passengers and airport staff.
Its measures have included deploying a specially trained team of ‘wellness ambassadors’ across the airport to assist passengers, encourage social distancing and provide Personal Protective Equipment (PPE); introducing touch-less elevator technology; SterixEco Gates sterilisation tunnels and thermal scanning cameras.
3 Comments
Even the transit passengers should be allowed/required to take a test. More number of countries are going to require covid negative report from transit destinations as well. Latest Canadian regulations are just an example.
For passengers departing from the country, flying from Abu Dhabi, are we allowed to take a test at these facilities as well?
Transit passengers also require testing for their final destination
The facility should be fast process
And also in the transit area…