Qantas announces mandatory vaccination for all employees
Following Cathay Pacific and United Airlines, Qantas is also introducing mandatory vaccination for all employees. The company was the first airline in the world to announce that in the future it will only transport passengers who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. There is no specific date for the implementation of this for guests yet. The situation is very different for employees. The flying personnel and ground staff must prove to their employer by November 15, 2021 that they are fully vaccinated against Covid-19. There will be exceptions for people who cannot be immunized for medical reasons. Qantas writes in a media release that it is currently assumed that there will only be a few isolated cases. In all other areas of the company, for example in technology and administration, Qantas employees must prove that they have been fully vaccinated by March 31, 2022. How the carrier will deal with employees who do not comply with the order is still unclear. In Hong Kong, Cathay Pacific has made a clear statement: Anyone who does not get vaccinated against Corona risks losing their job. A cover letter clearly states that employees who do not want to be vaccinated will be dismissed. In the USA, United Airlines is also under pressure, but this is not expressed as openly as at Cathay Pacific. In Europe, Air Baltic was the first carrier to announce that it will only hire fully vaccinated people in the future. There are currently no plans to make vaccination compulsory for the existing workforce. The situation is similar in