Airport bosses’s fury over £170 covid test fee

Bosses at Glasgow Airport have lambasted the Scottish Government for insisting international passengers pay up to £170 for approved Covid-19 tests.

AGS Airports, which runs the Paisley transport hub, says private companies can and are providing an equally reliable service at just £20 per person in England.

Crucially, the company argues the inflated price will put people off air travel and damage an industry already hammered by the pandemic.

Currently, people travelling to amber and green list countries have to have to undergo PCR covid tests before and after travel.

For those arriving to Scotland from amber countries, it costs £170 per person and £88pp for those arriving from green listed countries.

Derek Provan, chief executive of AGS Airports, has joined forces with his peers at Airlines UK, the Airport Operators Association and Edinburgh Airport to urge the Scottish Government to rethink its approach.

He said:“It is not fair that people in Scotland are being forced to bear such high costs when there are private suppliers offering the same tests that meet strict UK Government requirements for a fraction of the cost.

“This lack of parity with England will price many people out of travelling and will be a very real barrier to airports and airlines as we try to safely reestablish our connectivity.

“We urgently need the government to review its guidelines and introduce an equitable testing system that doesn’t penalise Scottish passengers.

“We have offered to work with the government and its clinicians to help identify an affordable solution.”

International travel resumed on May 17 with a traffic light system. Destinations were given a colour based on the prevalence of the virus in those countries.