Air Canada offers self-administered COVID-19 antigen and molecular test kits

Air Canada announces the introduction of new testing products, including portable self-administered COVID-19 antigen and molecular test kits, through a partnership with Switch Health, a Canadian-based healthcare company.

Using the Switch Health COVID-19 RT-LAMP kit, customers can be tested while traveling abroad prior to their flight to Canada to meet the Government of Canada's test entry requirements without the need to visit a testing clinic COVID-19 abroad. These tests are performed under the remote supervision of a Switch Health telehealth professional and include a travel-friendly electronic report.

"Air Canada is a leader in adopting and implementing science-based security measures to simplify our customers' journey," said Mark Nasr, Senior Vice President of Product Marketing and Electronic Commerce for Air Canada. "Together with Switch Health, we are pleased to offer our customers the most comprehensive range of travel test options that will make traveling abroad easier and more predictable." Switch Health also seamlessly integrates with Air Canada's digital tool allowing customers to securely submit their COVID-19 test results and vaccination records, further simplifying the travel experience. "

"At Switch Health, we pride ourselves on keeping Canadians safe and empowering them to make health-related decisions at their convenience through state-of-the-art decentralized diagnostics and patient-centric digital solutions," said Dilian Stoyanov, CEO of Switch Health. "Offering these COVID-19 tests will help Canadians get back to their favorite activities - like global air travel with Air Canada - safely, reliably and at their convenience."

Travel Testing
Currently, the Government of Canada requires customers flying to Canada to submit a negative molecular test performed within 72 hours of their flight. Switch Health's new self-administered portable test kit, officially called the Switch Health RT-LAMP Test Kit, can be carried by customers on their travels and used to satisfy this requirement without the need to visit a foreign test center. Air Canada is Switch Health's launch partner for these new trials, with limited quantities initially available to Aeroplan members.

The RT-LAMP test is one of several ways Air Canada is offering practical solutions to facilitate the customer experience and reduce the inconvenience associated with current pre-departure testing requirements. Other COVID-19 testing options include travel testing clinics, a self-administered RT-PCR collection kit, and a portable self-administered antigen kit that contains two tests and is accepted by many countries such as the United States.

These solutions are designed to facilitate the travel experience until the mandatory pre-departure testing requirement evolves for fully vaccinated travelers. The Government's COVID-19 Testing and Controls Expert Group recommends the elimination of pre-departure testing for fully vaccinated travelers, recognizing that both departure and arrival testing are excessive.