Airlines will likely require passengers to be vaccinated against the Coronavirus before they are allowed to board their aircraft.
Last week, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said it would be a “necessity” to vaccinate passengers before travel.
The airline’s terms and conditions of travel can now be amended to stipulate that international travelers must be vaccinated before they can board a Qantas plane.
Gail Chung, a spokeswoman for Korean Air, South Korea’s largest airline, said there is a real possibility that airlines will require passengers to be vaccinated because governments may require this as a condition for lifting the quarantine on arrivals. Air New Zealand reiterated a similar stance.
Vaccine stamps as evidence of vaccination were lifted last week by Conservative James Sunderland who asked Boris Johnson, the prime minister, whether he had considered “the benefit of having vaccination seals in passports, or a similar plan, to get our plans off the ground.”
Johnson responded that Transportation Secretary Grant Shaps was “looking into all these blueprints” and could provide confirmation that he heard the call “loud and clear.”
Sources confirmed that the stamps had been checked at DfT, as Aviation Secretary Robert Curtis was said to be “optimistic and supportive” of the plan.
“Pets need a vaccination passport when traveling between the UK and Europe, and this would be a great way to ensure freedom of movement for people too,” Mr. Sunderland told The Telegraph.
“We must do everything we can to boost the economy by reopening our travel, hospitality, leisure and business sectors, and how wonderful it would be for our planes, trains and boats to be filled again.
“The vaccination stamp is simple, it will save all the hassle on either side and really boost confidence.”
DfT was contacted to comment.
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