Will This Be The Way Air Travel Will Look In The Future? Test Before Boarding, Results In One Hour, Air Canada Announced The New Direction

Air Canada has announced that it plans to test all passengers before boarding and deliver the results in an hour. Is this the future of flights? Given that it may take another two to three years for a vaccine to become available (even 2 to 3 years is an optimistic scenario), it is understandable that alternatives are being sought in addition to treatment.

"Air Canada's strategy for managing COVID-19 has been to develop and apply multiple layers of biosafety measures for customers and employees. We believe the availability of a rapid, accurate, portable molecular test for COVID-19 will add yet another effective layer. We are excited by the potential and point of care use cases for the Spartan Cube, and look forward to working with the Spartan team in the weeks and months ahead" said Samuel Elfassy, Vice President, Safety at Air Canada.

It is already announced that this crisis will last two or three years. And then what? In this case, fast and efficient testing is a solution that may not be desired by everyone, but clearly indispensable. Some countries have already introduced border testing or testing before reaching a destination or destination and quarantine. In this context, rapid pre-flight testing may be the best measure for anyone who wants to travel by air.

Yes, plane tickets will be more expensive, but what is the viable alternative? Schedule dozens of times, cancel even more times, etc.? There is no ideal scenario, everyone will adapt as he can and wants to the new conditions. But what did Air Canada announce?

They have partnered with Spartan Bioscience Inc., an Ottawa-based company that is a leader in the biotechnology of portable DNA testing. They are working on a portable molecular test COVID-19 for the aviation industry.

"Spartan is excited to explore how our fast, portable testing technology can help keep Air Canada employees and the traveling public safe as Canada's economy re-opens," said Nick Noreau, Spartan Bioscience's Chief Revenue Officer.

The tests may be operated by non-technical staff (airline employees). You don't need a lab to get the result.

The results would be available in an hour

May? Definitely yes. After all, there are quick pregnancy tests that anyone can do, blood sugar, etc. There are also kits for personal use to identify blood type and RH. I haven't seen much in the offer in our country, but abroad they are in full swing. They can also be bought on Amazon. Then why can't there be a quick COVID-19 test that anyone can process? It is possible, but it is not known how quickly it will be achieved. That's another story. But I hope to have fast, cheap, efficient tests soon.

When will "better" times come for travel?

I would not postpone anything I want, and I can see until "better" times come, that we may have to wait years. Of course, it is different for those in the category of the vulnerable, who must show special care. Why? Because you can't rely on others to protect you and absolutely nowhere, you are not absolutely safe at home or anywhere. Only if we look at how many have been infected in care centers or hospitals, and we have an idea that absolutely nowhere is safe. Maybe only if you lock yourself in the house, but this is not a long-term solution either, because you risk developing other diseases and sensitivities brought by lack of movement, air, sun.

We all have three allies in the fight against the virus: the mask in confined spaces, distance, and strict hygiene. If it were respected everywhere, everything would be better. But that doesn't happen, and that's why we're all affected. So the only solution is to develop this type of test, which can be performed by airlines but we can buy them ourselves. Let's not stand in line for days for a test. And let's pay hundreds of lei for it. I would like to try to produce this type of analysis in our country because, in all probability, this virus will haunt the planet a lot more.

Otherwise, I think the Air Canada initiative is excellent, I wish them success and hopefully, more airlines will do the same.

Air Canada press release here.