Qantas to require int’l travelers to show vaccination proof before travel

Dhaka: Qantas has become the first airline globally to announce that it is likely to require its passengers to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 before travel.

The airline’s Chief Executive Alan Joyce, said in a statement, “We are looking at changing our terms and conditions to say for international travelers, we will ask people to have a vaccination before they can get on the aircraft.” Also, he believes that other airlines will follow suit in this demand.

Qantas has suspended the vast majority of its international flights amid the pandemic, with just a limited schedule operating between Australia and New Zealand at present. The airline expects to reopen to international travelers in 2021, provided they have received a vaccine.

Strict lockdowns and the banning of international tourists have seen Australia gain control over the spread of the virus, and the country now has among the lowest new case numbers in the world. To maintain this success, the government has suggested in its National Vaccination Policy that overseas visitors may in the future be required to provide proof of vaccination before travel.