News
Qantas floats no jab, no fly policy - with exceptions
November 27th 2020
Qantas Group CEO, Alan Joyce, said during a television interview this week passengers would need to be vaccinated for COVID-19 to travel internationally with the airline when ex-Australia flights resumed. Read More »
Following Joyce’s comments, the airline group issued a statement that clarified his remarks. There would be would be alternatives for those unable to be vaccinated due to pre-existing medical conditions, it said. They included heightened testing, mask wearing and/or quarantine.
Proof of vaccination would "probably" not be required for countries with which Australia might form a travel bubble. There was "no suggestion" a vaccine would be required for domestic travel, the airline said.
"The Qantas group acknowledges some people have concerns regarding vaccines," the statement said. "However, we believe we have a duty of care to everyone on board our aircraft to create a safe environment. All our policies are ultimately shaped by this."
The bulk of Qantas's international network remains in hibernation, with its 12 A380s in storage until at least 2023. Eleven of 13 787-9s and 18 A330-200s are parked.
The airline's only international passenger services are repatriation flights operated on behalf of the Australian government and a small number of services to New Zealand. Qantas has some cargo-only international flights.
Domestically, Qantas and its LLC, Jetstar, are flying at about 40% of pre-COVID-19 capacity, a figure forecast to rise to 60% by Christmas after domestic border restrictions ease.
An effective COVID-19 vaccine would be the "key to restarting international travel with most of the rest of the world if we’re to avoid undoing the progress Australia has made in controlling this virus”, the airline group said.
"The only current alternative to this would seem to be an ongoing need for 14 days of quarantine – which puts huge limits on freedom of movement and is something our customers tell us they don’t want," Qantas said.
"We don’t intend to formalise the detail of our vaccine requirement (including the life of the “passport”) until a safe and effective one is well-established.” The company estimates international travel will start in earnest mid to end of 2021."
IATA director general and CEO, Alexandre de Juniac, said the association's more immediate focus was on the implementation of a global testing regime to help restart international travel, given any vaccine was not likely to be widely available before the middle of 2021.
"We think the emergency is to implement the testing process," de Juniac told reporters this week at the IATA annual general meeting closing media conference. "We cannot wait for the vaccine to be deployed; otherwise we'll all be dead. Testing is the key priority."
The Australian government has kept open the possibility of introducing border entry or re-entry requirements that were conditional on proof of vaccination.
