Easy and frequent coronavirus testing is an important component of travel returning to normal. We’ve seen some airports introduce more testing opportunities, and this is now being rolled out at Lufthansa hubs, with Frankfurt being the first one.
The way this is being offered is something to be excited about in terms of the implications it can have on travel.
Frankfurt Airport coronavirus testing
Plans for this were initially announced a couple of weeks ago, but it’s now happening. Lufthansa plans to offer coronavirus testing at hubs in Frankfurt and Munich, and this could soon expand to more Lufthansa Group hubs.
The company CENTOGENE is working in cooperation with Lufthansa and Fraport to offer coronavirus rapid tests at Frankfurt Airport. With this, passengers can get RT-PCR tests (reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction tests).
The testing center is located between Terminal 1 and “The Squaire,” and has the following hours:
- 7AM until 7PM Monday through Friday
- 9AM until 5PM on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays
There’s no appointment necessary for this, though you do need to register through the CENTOGENE website, since you’ll receive your test results in digital form.
How much will coronavirus testing cost?
There are two versions of the test available at Frankfurt Airport:
- You can pay 59EUR for a test that gets you results within six to eight hours
- You can pay 139EUR for a test that gets you results within three hours
- For an additional 9EUR you can obtain an official and internationally valid attestation of the test results, which you can provide to authorities in many countries; this includes documentation of the travel document and the identity of the tested person, and is mandatory for air travel
How does this pricing compare to other airports offering coronavirus testing?
- Vienna Airport is offering COVID-19 testing at the cost of 190EUR
- Luxembourg is offering COVID-19 testing for free to passengers, though this is a pilot program
Why this is an exciting development
As we’re increasingly seeing countries open borders to visitors, one common theme is testing being required prior to arrival. In many cases, countries are requiring testing within 72 hours of travel.
Being able to get a test without an appointment and have results within three hours is extremely useful for people traveling to many places.
Often when you get tested there’s no promise as to how soon you’ll get the results, and it can take many days. This can present a major issue for anyone who plans travel but can’t coordinate both a test and the results in time.
One major consideration here, though, is that you’ll have to clear immigration in Germany to get tested. Germany’s borders are still closed to most countries, so that means those transiting Germany enroute to an international destination may not be able to actually enter the country, and therefore may not be able to get tested. You’ll need to be allowed to enter Germany in order to get this testing.
Bottom line
The new coronavirus testing at Frankfurt Airport is possibly the most useful coronavirus testing opportunity we’ve seen at any airport.
You can get tested for 59EUR, or you can pay 139EUR to get results within three hours. Being able to get results so quickly — and in a verified manner for international travel — will prove extremely useful.
As we’re increasingly seeing countries open and require testing within a few days of arrival, I’d love to see this concept expanded to more airports. Airport testing that offers results within hours could be a game changer for many.
Under what circumstances would you value airport testing options?
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