At Mumbai airport: Not 8 hours, just 13 minutes for RT-PCR test results for international fliers

Now, international passengers arriving at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) will have to wait for just 13 minutes, instead of eight hours, to get their RT-PCR test (the gold standard of Covid-19 testing) reports.

Now, international passengers arriving at Mumbai’s Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) will have to wait for just 13 minutes, instead of eight hours, to get their RT-PCR test (the gold standard of Covid-19 testing) reports.

The airport, from December 15, introduced a unique technology, in compliance with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) standards, that is available for all international passengers at the airport. (HT)

This is because the airport, from December 15, introduced a unique technology, in compliance with the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) standards, that is available for all international passengers at the airport.

With the 24X7 testing facility that is located at Level 2 (arrivals) near exit Gate B, CSMIA has become the first airport to adopt the express test method by Abbott ‘ID Now™’. CSMIA officials said the express test is available at ₹4,500 and aims to provide passengers with quick and accurate diagnosis in 13 minutes. However, passengers can continue to opt for regular RT-PCR tests, which take around six to eight hours for the result.

Creating a safer environment for travellers and airport staff, the rapid molecular testing technology by Abbott is a tool to help fight the pandemic by allowing fast, highly sensitive and accurate diagnosis, reducing the wait time for reports for passengers to take necessary measures to prevent disease transmission.

“Since the commencement of this test, CSMIA has witnessed an average of 30-35 tests per day and a total of 400 passengers as of December 28; these include those who had connecting flights to destinations outside Maharashtra,” an airport spokesperson said.