Birmingham Airport in the UK has opened a drive through COVID-19 screening service in conjunction with Cignpost ExpressTest. The facility will be particularly useful for members of the public who are asymptomatic and do not quality for NHS emergency testing, but require a negative result either to visit family members or to travel abroad. Eight drive-through lanes will have the capacity to process more than 8,000 tests per week.
The drive through facility builds on an existing partnership between Cignpost ExpressTest and Birmingham Airport, with a walk-in site being open since January.
“We are pleased to have developed and expanded the fit to fly testing service here at Birmingham Airport,” said Al Titterington, Terminal Operations Director, Birmingham Airport. “Following the success of Cignpost, which opened in January within the terminal building, this new drive through services ensures our customers can book tests with even more ease and convenience.
“Here at Birmingham we are continually putting our customers first by ensuring that as the travel restrictions change we have the right facilities in place to assist our customers and guarantee they are fully prepared for their trip,” he added.
Priced at £80 per person for travelling passengers and £99 for the test-only service, ExpressTest is delivered using the latest gold standard PCR equipment that is fully CE-IVD certified and manufactured to the highest possible standards, with tests carried out by trained Screening Practitioners. Cignpost ExpressTest also provides gold-standard PCR tests at Gatwick and Heathrow as well as at Edinburgh Airport in Scotland.
Since the resumption of international leisure travel on 17 May, Birmingham Airport has seen a spike in passenger numbers with airlines restarting several flight services to Portugal, Madeira and Greece.
Noting the increased desire for testing since international travel resumed in England, Christian Corney, CEO of Cignpost ExpressTest said, “Our new drive through centre at Birmingham Airport builds upon a strong pre-existing partnership and will be a great addition to our nationwide services. We are proud to bring COVID-19 screening services to the local community, and whether for personal or business travel, we remain committed to delivering the best possible service at an affordable price.”
