Joyce said the airline changed its terms and conditions to “ask people to get vaccinated before boarding the plane.”
The Contessa chief said, “Do you need domestically, we have to see what happens with the Kovid-19. But of course for international visitors coming out and leaving the country, we think it’s a the wanted.”
While Qantas is the first airline to state that Kovid-19 vaccinations will be very necessary before travel, others may soon follow suit.
“I think that would be a common topic, talking to my colleagues in other airlines around the world,” Joyce said.
Alan Joyce, CEO of Qantas Airways in Sydney, Australia on February 20, 2020.
Brent Levine / Bloomberg / Getty Images
A spokesperson for AirAsia told CNN Travel on Tuesday that once the vaccine was available, the airline would “review the need to vaccinate guests against Kovid-19 for international travel.”
Air New Zealand said it was “really encouraged by the news around vaccines” and said in a statement that “Ultimately, it is for governments to determine when and how it is safe to reopen borders and we will Continue to work closely with the authorities. “
Whether the vaccine requirement for travel is an international standard is certain at this stage. There are also questions about whether governments will implement such steps – and the legality of doing so – before allowing international travelers in their countries.
But the issue of how to safely start travel during an epidemic is with some airlines and countries. Airlines around the world have suffered a drop in travel and countries lacked the necessary tourism revenue.
The Qantas 737-800 aircraft was parked on the runway at Sydney Airport on 20 May 2020 in Sydney, Australia.
James D. Morgan / Getty Images
Vaccination passport and health pass
Joyce said Kentas was looking at the possibility of a “vaccinated passport” for travelers to “certify what the vaccine is and whether it is acceptable for the country you’re traveling to.”
This is something the airline industry is seriously thinking about.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) – the body representing airlines globally – said on Monday that a digital health pass, which may include vaccine information, is the key to opening borders.
“Today, borders are double locked. Testing is the first key to enable international travel without quarantine measures,” said Alexandre de Juniak, director general and chief executive officer of IATA, in a statement.
The second information required to securely manage, share, and match test data with passenger identities is global information infrastructure in compliance with border control requirements. This is an IATA travel pass job. We are also bringing it to market in the coming months. Meet the needs of the various travel bubbles and public health corridors that are starting operations. “
Flights resume as border control
Qantas and Jetstar – which once operated one flight every 15 minutes along this route in peak periods – launched 17 flights between Sydney and Melbourne on Monday. The airline said the reopening route would boost the overall domestic capacity of the Kantas Group.
On Tuesday, the airline said that Kent and Jetstar would operate more than 1,200 additional return flights to Queensland, led by the Queensland government, following a decision by the Queensland government to lift border restrictions.
However, the airline’s international fleet remains at the ground level. In August, Qantas said it was “unlikely” to resume international flights before July 2021, as it suffered heavy losses due to the epidemic.
Jennifer Hauser of CNN contributed to the reporting.
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