This was shown by the example of passengers who complained about their experience on the social network Facebook. Specifically, it was a flight from Prague to Gothenburg, Sweden, with Ryanair, which requested tests for covid at check-in, even after fully vaccinated and people with the disease. The situation was then repeated on another flight of the same company to Stockholm, according to information on social networks, it was supposed to affect about 15 people.
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“Air carriers cannot change the conditions for entering the country, but they can tighten the measures for boarding the aircraft precisely because of the protection of passengers during the flight and their greater safety,” said František Jemelka, a spokesman for the Ministry of Transport.
“If the carrier imposes stricter boarding measures and notifies the passenger during the booking and online check-in, there is no intervention by the state authority, as this is a contractual relationship between the air carrier and the passenger,” he added.
Ryanair’s website stated that passengers to Sweden need a test not older than 48 hours.
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Watch out for symptoms
As Smartwings spokeswoman Vladimíra Dufková said, the conditions for boarding at Smartwings are always governed by the conditions of the destination country. An exception is Egypt, which in some destinations allows the test only after arrival at the airport, but Smartwings ask for it when boarding.
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However, fully vaccinated and people with a disease have an exception if they do not show symptoms of infection. It follows that even a vaccinated person, for example with an allergic rhinitis or cough, should be prepared to have to show the test, because they may want it.
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The test can also be done at the airport, but it will be more expensive and in the mentioned case Ryanair did not have time to pass the rapid antigen test before departure.
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According to the Rights, train and bus carriers RegioJet, Leo Express and České dráhy do not have requirements beyond the conditions of entry.
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For example, ČD asked partner carriers operating international services to meet the requirements of the Ministry of Health (form for returning to the Czech Republic, or a test). On Leo Express and RegioJet trains, passengers are only alerted to requests.
Carriers argue that they only travel to “green” countries with a low risk of infection, where a test is enough to return within five days.
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