Mandatory vaccination
Qantas is the latest global airline to introduce a mandatory Covid-19 vaccination policy for all employees. Frontline employees – cabin crew, pilots and airport workers – will need to be fully vaccinated by 15 November 2021 and the rest by 31 March 2022.  “Having a fully vaccinated workforce will safeguard our people against the virus but also protect our customers and the communities we fly to," said Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said. “One crew member can fly into multiple cities and come into contact with thousands of people in a single day. Making sure they are vaccinated given the potential of this virus to spread is so important."

Jabs or jobs 
Qantas said a large staff survey showed more than three quarters of respondents had already had one vaccination and 60% had been double jabbed. Qantas is the latest airline to make vaccinations against Covid-19 mandatory. United Airlines and Hawaiian Airlines have already told all their US staff that they have to be vaccinated by November. 

Ready to go
Qantas has previously said it will require all international passengers to be vaccinated once Australia's borders reopen. The country had been relatively unscathed by the Covid pandemic but is currently battling to contain an outbreak of the Delta variant in New South Wales, its most populous state. Tourism Australia has unveiled a new campaign and toolkit 'It‘s our best shot for travel', aimed at encouraging people to get vaccinated and be ready to support the industry as soon as restrictions are lifted.