Alitalia and the Airports of Rome have announced that as of Tuesday 8 December, all passengers travelling on one of the three weekly flights to and from New York must present a certification proving that they have tested negative for Covid-19, carried out 48 hours before the flight, or take the antigen test directly at the airport before boarding. For those departing from the United States, upon arrival at Fiumicino airport, a new antigen test will be required; a second control check that will exempt passengers from needing to quarantine upon entering Italy.
For the Covid-tested flights, passengers will also be required to wear a protective face mask at all times and to be provided with an adequate number of replacements for the duration of the flight, so that they can be replaced every 4 hours. Additionally, prior to boarding, a self-certification attesting that you have not had close contact with people affected by Covid-19 is required.
These actions are a response to the needs of passengers who, in a recent market survey, expressed growing interest in adopting these measures as flight hours increased. Furthermore, this experimental phase will aim to evaluate the effectiveness and functionality of the new travel method, with the aim of making it more widely available in view of the next Summer 2021 season.
The new travel protocol is governed by the order of 23 November of the Minister of Health, issued in agreement with the Minister of Infrastructure and Transport and the Minister of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation. The government measure will be in force, subject to extensions, until 15 February 2021. The restrictions on entry into the United States laid down by the US Administration shall remain applicable.
As Alitalia and the Airports of Rome anticipated, thanks also to the rapid testing facilities already operating at Fiumicino airport with the support of the Lazio Region, they extended the Covid-tested flight option, successfully launching on 16 September, on two daily Rome-Milan flights and confirmed their commitment, right from the very first phases of the pandemic, to implement measures to prevent and protect the health of passengers and operators.
All Alitalia aircrafts are sanitised daily with products that have high antibacterial power and, thanks to HEPA filters and vertical circulation, the air on board is renewed every three minutes and 99.7% pure, just like a room that has been sterilised, confirming that air transport remains the safest mode of transport. In addition, the Leonardo da Vinci International Airport is at the forefront for high security standards achieved and is considered one of the safest airports in the world, so much so that it has obtained from Skytrax the maximum rating of 5 starts on anti-Covid health protocols, the ACI Airport Health Accreditation, and has just been chosen for the third consecutive year by ACI Europe as the best airport in Europe precisely because of the virus containment measures.
