Hawaiian Airlines will launch pre-travel COVID-19 testing for passengers at two U.S. west coast airports beginning Oct. 15, in anticipation of the relaxation of Hawaii’s 14-day quarantine order for out-of-state arrivals.
The Honolulu-based carrier announced Sept. 25 it will offer drive-through polymerase chain reaction (PCR) tests to Hawaii-bound passengers at Los Angeles International and San Francisco International (SFO), in partnership with Long Beach, California-based testing specialist Worksite Labs. Each test will cost $90 for results within 36 hours or $150 for day-of-travel express service.
Hawaii’s mandatory quarantine for out-of-state arrivals entered effect in late March, and its continued application blocked air travel from staging even a modest rebound this past summer. Beginning Oct. 15, the state will allow travelers with proof of a negative test to avoid quarantine, provided their test was taken within 72 hours of arrival. Passengers who take a test prior to travel but do not receive their results in time will still be required to quarantine until their results are in, however.
The announcement comes one day after United Airlines also announced plans to launch a COVID-19 pilot testing program at SFO for passengers traveling to Hawaii beginning Oct. 15. Besides Hawaiian and United, none of the other carriers that serve Hawaii, including Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines, have yet announced plans to initiate similar testing programs, although that is likely to change soon.
Beyond LAX and SFO, Hawaiian said it plans to launch more testing programs at other U.S. gateways soon.
“The new testing option will offer Los Angeles and Bay Area travelers superior value, and we look forward to expanding the program and bringing additional choices to more of our gateway cities as we welcome guests back ... while keeping our community safe,” Hawaiian Airlines president and CEO Peter Ingram said.
Despite optimism around the new testing program, Hawaiian still anticipates being around a third smaller in October, following the expiration of job protections associated with the U.S. government’s CARES Act Payroll Support Program (PSP) on Oct. 1. Hawaiian spokesman Alex Da Silva told Aviation Daily the company anticipates shedding 2,501 jobs, or 33% of the total workforce, absent an extension of the PSP by Congress. That total comprises 2,316 contract employees, including 101 pilots, in addition to 185 administrative positions.
“We are encouraged that the state has announced a program launch date of Oct. 15 to allow travelers with a negative COVID-19 test to avoid a quarantine upon arrival,” Da Silva said. “We believe that people want to travel to Hawaii, and we are confident that as a visitor industry we have the right protocols to protect our community and safely welcome travelers to the islands. We are hopeful that the roll-out of pre-travel testing will allow us to avoid further reductions to our teams.”
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