SWISS plans to introduce rapid pre-boarding Covid tests
Zurich Airport is reportedly looking into pre-boarding tests
Keystone
German airline Lufthansa will introduce rapid tests before certain flights to detect Covid-19 in passengers. If the trial, set to start in October, is successful, it will be expanded to Lufthansa subsidiaries Swiss International Air Lines (SWISS) and Edelweiss.
The tests are being developed by the Basel-based pharmaceutical company Roche, according to reports in the NZZ am Sonntag and SonntagsZeitung.
It is unclear on which flights the tests, which could cost around €10 (CHF10.80) per passenger, will be trialled, the papers said. Lufthansa said it was looking into various price models, such as including a certain amount in the ticket price.
The requirement to have a negative Covid-19 test when boarding a plane could allow exemptions from entry bans and compulsory quarantine, the papers wrote.
Zurich Airport is also reportedly examining how to integrate such tests into its operations.
More
More
Rapid Covid-19 tests could offer a path back to normal
This content was published on
Could rapid antigen tests like the one Roche plans to launch this month become the norm?
The economic repercussions of the coronavirus have caused turnover at SWISS to fall by 55% in the first half of 2020. Last month CEO Thomas Klühr warned that the company was still losing a massive amount of money and a return to profitable flights was likely to take time.
More
More
Swiss Politics
Coronavirus: the situation in Switzerland
This content was published on
An overview of the latest Covid-related information in the Alpine nation.
This content was published on
Production in Switzerland's secondary sector fell in the second quarter of 2025. The decline was more pronounced in the construction sector than for industry.
Swiss army recruits remain in hospital after gruelling test exercise
This content was published on
Four potential recruits for the elite Swiss grenadier unit were hospitalised last week after taking part in a gruelling exercise in hot weather. Three remain in hospital with one placed temporarily in an artificial coma.
University of Basel to mark 125th anniversary of Nietzsche’s death
This content was published on
This month the University of Basel is celebrating the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche, who was a professor there from 1869 to 1879. August 25th marks the 125th anniversary of his death.
Trump tariffs: Swiss brands struggle to adapt to 39% tariff
This content was published on
Swiss brands like Victorinox, the manufacturer of the iconic pocket knife, are struggling to adapt to the 39% tariff imposed by the United States on imports of Swiss goods.
Fish and aquatic plants are under ‘severe pressure’ in Swiss rivers and lakes
This content was published on
Fish, aquatic plants and other animals in Swiss rivers, lakes and streams remain under 'severe pressure', according to the Federal Office for the Environment.
Swatch withdraws ‘slanted eyes’ ad after China uproar
This content was published on
The Swiss watch manufacturer Swatch has apologised and withdrawn an advertising campaign worldwide following accusations of racism in China. The ad features a model pulling the corners of his eyes.
Police identify bodies of three climbers who died in Swiss Alps
This content was published on
Police have formally identified the bodies of three climbers who died in the Upper Valais region in early August: they are from Germany, France and Austria.
Bern exhibition reunites Kirchner paintings after 92 years
This content was published on
The painting Sonntag der Bergbauern (Alpsonntag) [Sunday of the Mountain Farmers (Alp Sunday) by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938) is being transferred from Berlin to Bern to feature in an upcoming exhibition at Kunstmuseum Bern.
Voters approve extension of Engadine Airport in Switzerland
This content was published on
Residents in the Upper Engadine region gave the greenlight on Sunday to the expansion of the regional airport at Samedan, one of Europe’s highest airports (1,707 metres) that serves the nearby resorts of St Moritz and Davos.
Private equity group Advent to buy U-Blox for $1.3 billion
This content was published on
Private equity group Advent International has agreed to take over Switzerland's U-Blox Holding in a cash offer worth CHF1.05 billion ($1.30 billion).
This content was published on
From August 31 people will not be allowed to enter Switzerland from a coronavirus “high-risk” country on a transit flight via a non-risk country.
Canton Zurich collects ‘risk land’ passenger data for other cantons
This content was published on
Canton Zurich sends passenger data on people flying into Zurich airport from Switzerland’s coronavirus “risk list” countries to several other cantons.
Swiss International Air Lines’ turnover halved due to coronavirus
This content was published on
The economic repercussions of the coronavirus have caused turnover at the airline to fall by 55% in the first half of 2020.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.