SYDNEY Reuters - Virgin Australia said on Thursday it would require all its staff to be vaccinated against COVID - 19, in line with domestic rival Qantas Airways Ltd and a growing number of airlines in the Asia Pacific region.
Pilots, cabin crew and airport workers will need to be fully vaccinated by November 15; other staff will have until March 31 in 2022, Virgin said, aligning its dates with Qantas.
We also remain supportive of any government-backed measures to ensure travellers are vaccinated, Virgin Chief Executive Officer Jayne Hrdlicka said.
In Australia, local lockdowns in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra due to coronavirus cases have led to interstate border closures hampering domestic travel.
The country has not mandated vaccines for travel, but some states require them for entry in certain cases.
Asian airlines reported high vaccination take-up rates among pilots and cabin crew as they wait to relieve the region's pandemic-related border controls.
Singapore Airlines Ltd, Malaysia Airlines and Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd are among those that have mandated vaccinations on the crew of Singapore Airlines Ltd.