SIA and Collinson trial Covid-19 pre-departure testing

SIA said the new online portal will also be able to house digital health passes that show a passenger's Covid-19 status.ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM

All Singapore Airlines (SIA) passengers flying outbound from Singapore and Indonesia (bound for Singapore) will be able to book pre-departure polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and serology tests as part of a trial service.

The pre-departure test service – conducted in partnership with Collinson – is currently available to Singapore Airlines and SilkAir passengers departing from Singapore, Jakarta and Medan, as part of its pilot test phase. The pilot will run until mid-March, and there are plans to expand this service to more cities in the SIA and SilkAir network over the next few months if it is successful.

The new portal will also house a digital health pass that will display a passenger’s Covid-19 status

With pre-departure testing becoming a mandatory requirement for more countries, this new service allows SIA customers to book their test appointments on an online booking portal after making their flight bookings.

Customers can make an appointment for a pre-departure test with their preferred in-city clinic from a given list of testing facilities. Upon completion of their test, customers will automatically receive notification of their test results within 36 hours through the same portal, which if negative, can be presented upon check-in at the airport.

These test results will come with a QR code that enables airport check-in staff and Singapore immigration authorities to verify under the new digital health verification process that SIA is piloting with the International Air Transport Association. The portal will also be able to house digital Covid-19 status.

Todd Handcock, Asia-Pacific president of Collinson Group, said this will enable the safe reopening of key routes for travellers.

“While there’s optimism that the roll-out of vaccines will help bring an end to the pandemic, there remains a complex road ahead. In order to restore confidence in travel, the implementation of safe and robust testing protocols remains key,” he added.

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