London's Heathrow airport unveils rapid pre-flight virus tests for passengers flying to Italy and China's HK

London's Heathrow airport on Tuesday began to roll out paid-for rapid coronavirus testing, with results in one hour, as it seeks to boost demand decimated by the deadly pandemic.

The LAMP saliva test, which does not have to be processed in a laboratory, will cost 80 pounds ($102) per passenger and is available initially for passengers flying to Italy and China's Hong Kong from Terminals two and five.

The COVID-19 test will provide results more quickly than those used by Britain's state-run National Health Service, according to the Heathrow test providers – aviation services company Collinson and logistics firm Swissport.

Passengers will be asked to register online for the test before travelling to Heathrow, which is based west of the British capital. Collinson and Swissport described the tests as a "critical step" in the aviation sector's recovery, "restoring traveler confidence and reopening routes from the UK to the rest of the world."

"(Testing) is a key part of the solution for getting travel moving again. There's a lot of support to make sure that we can get these things up and running, and moving quickly," said David Evans, joint chief executive of Collinson.