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Airlines grapple with vaccine refusers amid international travel restart
- Most major airlines say their hands are tied when it comes to making Covid-19 vaccinations mandatory for staff and passengers alike
- But unvaccinated travellers are finding their options starting to narrow as an increasing number of destinations make inoculations an entry requirement
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As demand for air travel increases in the West and travel routes slowly begin opening up in Asia, airlines have yet to figure out how to safeguard against one potential disruption to their operations: vaccine refusers.
Worldwide, only two – Cathay Pacific and United Airlines – have been able to enforce Covid-19 vaccinations for their staff, subject to certain medical and religious exemptions. Employees who refuse to get vaccinated without a valid reason have been fired by Cathay, while United has warned that such employees risk losing their jobs.
Other major global airlines say their hands are tied when it comes to making vaccinations mandatory for staff and travellers alike, even as an increasing number of destinations are making inoculation against Covid-19 a requirement for entry.
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On Friday, the US said it would open its borders to vaccinated foreigners on November 8, and generally bar unvaccinated foreigners from entry. President Joe Biden’s administration is also preparing to roll out regulations requiring most private sector workers to get vaccinated or undergo weekly testing.
For airlines, having a mix of vaccinated and unvaccinated employees makes it challenging to ensure flights are fully staffed as operations often have to be split.
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