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Qantas will make Covid vaccine mandatory for international flights
Bad news for jet-setting anti-vaxxers.
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce says a Covid vaccination will be a ‘non-negotiable’ condition for all passengers heading overseas on Qantas flights.
Qantas CEO has already said the airline won’t commence international flights until the Qantas workforce have access to a Covid vaccine first.
"For international travellers, we will ask people to have a vaccination before they get on the aircraft,” Joyce said in a TV interview.
"Certainly, for international visitors coming out and people leaving the country we think that’s a necessity."
It is unclear how that will impact the airline legally if they deny travellers opposed to a Covid jab.
The Australian federal government recently hinted at possible issues of requiring jabs for all.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison previously said it would be ‘as mandatory as you can possibly make it,’ but then later conceded ‘we can’t hold someone down and make them take it.’
Even though an effective vaccination could be ready by early 2021, Qantas doesn’t expect to restart non travel bubble international services for several months yet.
Written by Ray Montgomery, Asia Editor
TravelMole Editorial Team
Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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