Air New Zealand to make Covid-19 vaccine mandatory
Airline Air New Zealand will require customers on its international network to be fully vaccinated from 1 February 2022
These requirements will sit alongside the measures the airline already has to keep New Zealand safe.
"We're getting ready to reconnect with the world and letting customers know what they need to do to be ready to take off when we can," said Air New Zealand's CEO Greg Foran. "Being vaccinated against Covid-19 is the new reality of international travel – many of the destinations Kiwis want to visit are already closed to unvaccinated visitors.”
The right thing to do to protect people
The airline’s vaccination requirement will apply to all passengers aged 18 and older arriving or departing Aotearoa on an Air New Zealand aircraft. Customers who are not vaccinated will be required to present proof that vaccination was not a viable option for them for medical reasons.
"As with anything, there will be some that disagree,” commented Foran. “However, we know this is the right thing to do to protect our people, our customers, and the wider New Zealand community. We'll spend the next few months making sure we get this right, ensuring it works as smoothly as possible for our customers. This also gives anyone wanting to travel from next year plenty of time to get their vaccination.”
Meanwhile, research done by personal finance platform Forbes Advisor showed that Brits believe vaccinations should be mandatory for travel and insurance.