CSMIA launches open express RT-PCR test facility at Mumbai airport

Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport (CSMIA) has launched its express COVID-19 RT-PCR test facility for all passengers departing from the airport recently. This facility is also available for non-passengers visiting the airport. This initiative addresses passenger concerns regarding the different COVID-19 regulations across domestic and international destinations; departing passengers can undergo the test at CSMIA before travelling to their onward destination and produce their negative test report to skip institutional quarantine at their destination.

Initially launched for arriving international transit passengers in line with the directive from the Ministry of Civil Aviation (MoCA), CSMIA has now further extended the availability of the test facility for passengers departing from the airport as well. The facility is located on the curbside of Level 4 at Terminal 2 for departing passengers; non-passengers can also opt to undergo the test at this location. Departing passengers can make an online booking by through the test feature available on www.csmia.aero or register themselves at the helpdesk set up at departures to enroll for the RT-PCR test before entering the terminal and receive a digital copy mailed directly or can also collect the physical copy of the test report within eight hours. Passengers departing from the airport are encouraged to arrive at the terminal 8-12 hours before their scheduled departure.

CSMIA had first launched the RT-PCR test facility on September 6, 2020, for arriving international passengers transiting to a domestic destination from Mumbai as a measure to skip institutional quarantine upon arrival. This was later extended to all passengers arriving at the airport as directed by MoCA. Since the commemoration of the test facility at the airport, CSMIA has witnessed a total of over 3,340 passengers who opted for the test, of which over 2930 were males and over 400 females. The testing facility at the airport registers on average approx. 100 tests per day at the airport. Out of the test conducted at the airport till date, 38 passengers tested positive for Covid-19 and were transferred by the state authorities to designated COVID-19 institutions. Additionally, the RT-PCR testing at the airport is the fastest test facility in the city of Mumbai.