Edinburgh airport has opened “the first public Covid screening centre at in airport in Scotland”.
The Express Test facility is located in front of the terminal in the Fast Park area of the car park, and offers tests from £60 for airport staff, £80 for passengers, and £99 for the general public.
Similar to the service opening at Gatwick at the end of this month, the Edinburgh facility will carry out lab-analysed PCR swab tests, with results emailed or texted to customers “typically the next day”, although customers with flights dependent on the result are advised to schedule a test 48-96 hours prior to their departure time, “as a precaution”.
Those testing negative will be emailed a ‘Fit to Fly’ certificate that is authorised by a doctor, along with their test result, but the airport stresses that “passengers will be responsible for checking with their travel provider as to whether this document is accepted before booking the screening service”.
Tests can be booked at expresstest.co.uk for slots between 0800 and 2000, and customers will be sent a QR to take along to the appointment, along with passport or employee ID.
Express Test founder Nick Markham said that the service would “provide reassurance to people that they are Covid-free, whether that’s when they are travelling or visiting friends and family”.
The company aims to have 30 locations up and running across the UK in the next few months.
Commenting on the news Gordon Dewar, chief executive of Edinburgh Airport said:
“Protecting and mitigating risk to public health and providing reassurance and confidence to people who need and want to travel is incredibly important if aviation and all of the industries that rely on it are to recover.
“We have acted with Express Test to ensure we are in as strong a position as possible to allow aviation as a facilitator industry to drive Scotland’s recovery.
“Until then, people must continue to adhere to local regulations and ensure they understand and follow government guidance to protect themselves and others.”
