More airlines in North America and globally are coming out in favour of mandatory vaccinations for staff, and in some cases, even pax, in a trend that may well see full vaccination as a universal air travel requirement sooner rather than later.
Canada
In Canada, last month, Transport Minister Omar Alghabra announced that all employees of federally-regulated businesses - including airlines - must be fully vaccinated, “by the end of October,” if not sooner.
Not only will that take place, Alghabra also mandatory vaccinations for passengers on all commercial flights will also be required “as quickly as possible.”
As Open Jaw has reported, Air Canada quickly mandated its employees report their full vaccination status by 30OCT. The airline is also making full vaccination a condition of employment for new staff. And it says failure to comply “will have consequences up to and including unpaid leave or termination.”
Other Canadian airlines, including Porter, WestJet and Transat either already are, or have indicated they will also follow Ottawa’s mandate.
In last week’s third quarter results conference call, Transat’s president and CEO Annick Guérard reportedly said high, overall vaccination rates remain essential for the industry’s recovery. “Everyone must do their part to ensure that we eventually overcome the virus,” she said. “We are impatient to see the details of the planned legislation on the topic.”
U.S.A.
U.S. airlines are divided in their requirements, although they may not have any say in the matter much longer, after White House chief medial advisor Dr. Anthony Fauci expressed his support for vaccination requirements for air travel late last week.
“I would support that if you want to get on a plane and travel with other people that you should be vaccinated,” Dr. Fauci reportedly said. The White House indicated an air travel vaccination mandate hasn’t been ruled out.
United Airlines has long had an unapologetically pro-vaccination stance, coming out last Friday with the announcement it will put unvaccinated employees on unpaid leave.
It’s the only major American airline with such a strict policy, although other airlines are making the choice for its workers to remain unvaccinated less palatable.
Delta Air Lines has a vaccination requirement for new staff but is not grandfathering the mandate for existing employees. However, late last month, it said that any workers who remain unvaccinated will have to pay higher health insurance premiums to help the company cover its extra costs and risk if they get COVID.
American Airlines recently chimed in too. Beginning in OCT, unvaccinated workers will no longer be able to use special pandemic paid leave if they get COVID, only their available sick days.
Alaska Airlines will require new hires to be vaccinated and will also end special pandemic pay for workers who test positive or get sick from COVID. Hawaiian Airlines and Frontier Airlines each have issued vaccine requirements for employees as well.
So far, Southwest Airlines is incentivizing its workers to get vaccinated, but has not issued a mandate.
International Airlines
Overseas airlines are beginning to take a harder line on vaccination, too.
Recently, Cathay Pacific confirmed it had actually fired an unspecified number of unvaccinated cabin crew who failed to meet a 31 AUG deadline for providing proof of vaccination. The Hong Kong carrier revealed it started proceedings against 80 employees following the passing of the deadline. It also says as of 01SEP, all flights have operated with fully vaccinated crews.
And at least one airline has already mandated passengers must be vaccinated, too.
Australia’s Qantas says it will require vaccines for passengers as well as crew when it resumes international flights at the end of the year.
In France, as well as some other EU countries, boarding any domestic air or other mode of long-distance transportation requires a digital health pass, indicating full vaccination status, or a negative COVID test, which in some cases is still acceptable.
As vaccination rates globally continue to climb, mandatory vaccination for both pax and crew may soon be inevitable for air travel.
