Express Test has signed an agreement to become “the main testing provider at Heathrow”, in a move which will see owner Cignpost open a total of six test facilities at the airport.
For travellers arriving into Heathrow from “Green list” destinations, it means they will be able to take their mandatory “Day 2” test at Heathrow T2 or T5 arrivals, at a cost of £69.
Cignpost says six test sites will be rolled out across Heathrow by August, in the following locations:
- Terminal 2 Departures
- Terminal 5 Departures
- Terminal 3 Departures
- Terminal 4 Long Stay Car Park
- Terminal 2 Arrivals
- Terminal 5 Arrivals
In December Express Test opened what at the time was “the UK’s largest private Covid-19 testing facility”, located at the Heathrow’s N4 car park off the Bath Road.
UK’s largest private Covid-19 testing facility opens at Heathrow
The firm says that results of the tests (which must be pre-booked via expresstest.co.uk) are “guaranteed by 10pm the following day”. Once the partnership has fully rolled out, the airport test sites will be capable of handling 400,000 tests per month.
Commenting on the news Nick Markham, co-founder of Cignpost Diagnostics said:
“We are incredibly proud to have been selected as the main testing provider to one of the world’s busiest airports. As lockdown restrictions ease to allow international travel to resume, everyone travelling abroad will want to know they can get an affordable test with the results delivered back to them within 24 hours. That is exactly what ExpressTest’s Covid-19 testing package with Heathrow Airport delivers.”
It’s not clear what Express Test’s agreement to become the main testing provider at Heathrow will mean for the Collinson test facilities at the airport.
In March the group become the first private provider to offer mandatory Covid-19 tests required for arrivals into the UK, with in-terminal arrivals test centres at Heathrow, Manchester, Stansted, London City, Luton or East Midlands airports.
Collinson launches in-terminal tests for arrivals into England
Collinson has provided Business Traveller with the following statement:
“Collinson is proud of its partnership with Heathrow to successfully lobby UK Government to introduce Test to Release, as well as to establish the first in-terminal COVID-19 testing facilities in the UK – in Terminals 2 and 5. To enable those travelling to key markets that accept rapid LAMP tests, including Spain, Japan and Hong Kong, Collinson continues to be the only UK testing provider delivering LAMP, giving results in 90 mins. We are also the only provider with an accredited LAMP product for Test to Release, ensuring same-day release from quarantine, on Day 5. Our full range of tests are available at all our airport and other testing centres across the country.
“Heathrow has recently staged a competitive RFP for the expansion of testing services. We have been advised by Heathrow that we have not been successful in the tender due to commercial reasons. We are working with Heathrow to understand the implications to our existing operations in Terminals 2 and 5 Departures, however we have a contract in place until mid-July, and so there certainly will be no immediate changes.
“Collinson, as the UK’s leading travel experiences and medical assistance provider, continues its unwavering commitment to offering airlines, airports, and travellers testing delivered by trained medical staff. We will continue to develop new offerings for partners and passengers to support the safe return to travel while making Covid-19 travel testing as accessible and convenient as possible. Last week Collinson reduced the prices of its full range of testing solutions, with more product announcements in the coming weeks.”
