June 24 (Reuters) – Cathay Pacific Airways Ltd 0293.HK stated on Thursday that each one Hong Kong-based pilots and flight attendants would should be vaccinated towards COVID-19 by Aug. 31 or threat shedding their jobs, in one of many airline trade’s hardest insurance policies.
Cathay stated it had struggled with employees rostering because of Hong Kong’s strict quarantine guidelines on return which were loosened for crew which were vaccinated. There are additionally necessities that solely totally vaccinated crews can function to sure high-risk locations and on quarantine-free “bubble” flights.
Hong Kong has a surplus of unused vaccines and a few of the pictures are about to run out, metropolis authorities have stated.
Cathay stated 90% of pilots and greater than 65% of cabin crew had been vaccinated already, or had appointments for vaccinations, following a earlier warning that vaccination was extremely prone to turn out to be obligatory.
“We perceive there will likely be some who can’t take a vaccine and we are going to look into accommodating them on a short-term foundation the place we are able to,” the airline stated in an announcement.
“Nonetheless, we are going to overview the longer term employment of those that are unable to turn out to be vaccinated and assess whether or not they can proceed to be employed as aircrew with Cathay Pacific.”
Cathay’s new coverage was first reported by the South China Morning Put up and comes amid various trade approaches to crew vaccinations.
United Airways Holdings Inc UAL.O stated on Tuesday it might mandate full vaccination for crew members flying to international locations with excessive COVID-19 instances initially of August, whereas Delta Air Traces Inc DAL.N final month stated all new hires must be vaccinated.
Australia’s Qantas Airways Ltd QAN.AX has stated it would require all passengers and crew to be vaccinated when the nation’s borders reopen to widespread worldwide journey.
Emirates has offered staff with free vaccines since January, and later advised employees they needed to get vaccinated or pay for normal assessments to show they aren’t contaminated.
(Reporting by Jamie Freed in Sydney; Enhancing by Kenneth Maxwell)
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