Australian airline “Qantas“will require its international passengers to be vaccinated against Covid-19,” Alan Joyce, the company’s chief executive, said on Monday night.
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Joyce said Qantas will introduce the rule as soon as a Covid-19 vaccine becomes available to the public.
“We plan to change our terms and conditions to tell international travelers that we will ask people to be vaccinated before they can board the plane,” said the head of Qantas.
“Whether it will be needed for domestic flights – we will have to find out what will happen to Covid-19 [aviācijas] on the market; but we definitely believe it is necessary for international guests going [uz Austrāliju], and the people who leave the country. “
Joyce predicted that such a rule would become standard practice for airlines around the world, where governments and airlines are currently considering introducing electronic vaccination passports.
Australia’s international borders have been virtually closed since March to curb the spread of the new coronavirus. Australia has even limited the number of its citizens who are allowed to return to the country every week, which is why tens of thousands of Australians are stranded abroad.
Qantas has deducted more than 200 aircraft from its flight crew and laid off 8,500 workers in an attempt to offset losses caused by falling demand for air travel.
Australia is trying to create “travel bubbles” with other countries that have limited the spread of the coronavirus. However, Australia is unlikely to fully open its borders to international travelers until the vaccine is widely available.
In Australia, just over 27,800 infections and 907 deaths have been reported since the start of the pandemic.
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