Couple barred from flight after taking Covid-19 test 40 minutes too early

One couple's was banned from their flight to Italy after mistiming their pre-flight Covid-19 test. Photo / Unsplash

Forty minutes doesn't seem like a long-time but for one British couple, it was the difference between an Italian holiday and being stuck in the UK.

In line with aviation regulations, Jayne Nicholls and Alexander Doory took a Covid-19 test at 8.02 am two days before their flight with easyJet.

However, their flight from London Luton to Naples was due to land at 8.40 am UK time, meaning their 'fit to fly' tests were taken 40 minutes too early.

When the pair arrived at the gate, they were stopped and turned away, Nicholls told Birmingham Live.

"They asked us where we were going and where we were flying so we thought we were sorted, she said.

Nicholls then said they saw a young Italian man get turned away at the gate. "He looked really panicky, but he could only speak Italian so we couldn't find out what was wrong."

The mistake the young man, Nicholls and Doory had made? Thinking the test had to be valid for the arrival time, not the departure time.

According to Nicholls, they weren't the only ones who were confused and said other passengers had been given a 30-minute leeway but they were still 10 minutes over that time.

"To me, it's just not clear," she said. "We lost money for airport car parking, flights plus we had to purchase new flights, new Covid tests and new airport parking."

For easyJet, the rules are explicit and must be followed in order to operate in various destinations.

"Passengers travelling from the UK the Italian authorities require a negative Covid test result to have been taken within 48 hours of arrival which unfortunately the passengers didn't have," said an easyJet spokesperson

"Like all airlines, easyJet is required to comply with the requirements of the local authorities in all destinations where we operate."

This isn't the first time EasyJet has made headlines for turning away passengers with incorrectly timed Covid-19 tests.

In August the carrier refused a mother and son to board a flight bound for Croatia who similarly timed their tests for departure time, not the arrival.

The family took their required tests at 8.55 am on Monday, but would arrive two days later at 9.10 am UK time. Exceeding the 48-hour window by 15 minutes.