Manchester Airports Group is trebling the number of testing sites at its airports.

MAG, which owns Manchester, East Midlands and Stansted airports, also confirmed Randox will join existing partner Collinson to operate the sites, which will be a combination of walk-through and drive-through testing centres. 

Together, they will operate 11 sites across MAG’s three airports, offering passengers a range of tests for arrival and departure, including packages for amber/green list countries, plus Test to Release, which unlocks passengers from quarantine after a full five days.  

Both providers will offer unique tests, including Randox’s rapid 1-3-hour PCR test and Collinson’s same day Test to Release offering. Currently PCR tests can take up to 48 hours, meaning passengers have to come to the airport ahead of their trip. However, with Randox’s rapid PCR test, with results available in just 1-3 hours, travellers can save time and do the test on the day of travel.  

Collinson’s same-day Test to Release process uses a rapid LAMP test, meaning that passengers can get their results back on the same day and release from quarantine on day five* with a negative result. Other providers use PCR, meaning it can take up to day six or seven to get a result. These are just two of the services Randox and Collinson will provide across MAG’s airports, with more than a dozen tests and options available.  

PCR test prices start from £60.

The additional sites will see one walk-through and two drive-through centres at Manchester, with one more walk-through opening later in the summer.

There is one walk-through and two drive-through centres at East Midlands and two of each at Stansted.