Airline passengers may have to do more than go through security in order to board an airplane.
Dubai-based airline Emirates started administering rapid COVID-19 blood tests to passengers before they board their flight.
The airline released a statement that the first blood tests took place on Wednesday at Dubai International Airport.
The statement said passengers were headed to Tunisia and were tested before they boarded. Tests were conducted by the Dubai Health Authority at the group check-in area of terminal 3.
Emirates says it is the first airline to roll out the rapid testing with results available within 10 minutes. The tests check if the body has developed antibodies against the coronavirus.
"We are working on plans to scale up testing capabilities in the future and extend it to other flights," said Adel Al Redha, Emirates Chief Operating Officer, in the statement. "This will enable us to conduct on-site tests and provide immediate confirmation for Emirates passengers traveling to countries that require COVID-19 test certificates.”
Etihad Airways announced plans to introduce new self-service kiosks at its hub airport in Abu Dhabi in late April to help identify travelers with medical conditions, CNN reports.
The technology is designed to monitor the temperature, heart rate and respiratory rate of a passenger.
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