Air New Zealand has become one of the first major airlines to announce a vaccine requirement for passengers.
In this post:
Air New Zealand mandates vaccines for international flights
As of February 1, 2022, Air New Zealand will require passengers on all international flights to be fully vaccinated. This will apply to all passengers 18 years of age or older. Those who are not vaccinated will be required to “present proof that vaccination was not a viable option for them for medical reasons.” Air New Zealand employees will also have to be vaccinated. This means that all adult passengers on international Air New Zealand flights without a medical exception will have to be vaccinated.
Here’s how Air New Zealand CEO Greg Foran describes this policy decision:
“We’re getting ready to reconnect with the world and letting customers know what they need to do to be ready to take off when we can. Being vaccinated against COVID-19 is the new reality of international travel — many of the destinations Kiwis want to visit are already closed to unvaccinated visitors. The quicker we get vaccinated, the sooner we can fly Kiwis to places like New York, Vancouver and Narita.
We’ve been hearing from both customers and employees that this measure is important to them. It came through loud and clear in our recent consultation process with employees and we want to do everything we can to protect them. Mandating vaccination on our international flights will give both customers and employees the peace of mind that everyone onboard meets the same health requirements as they do.
As with anything, there will be some that disagree. However, we know this is the right thing to do to protect our people, our customers and the wider New Zealand community. We’ll spend the next few months making sure we get this right, ensuring it works as smoothly as possible for our customers. This also gives anyone wanting to travel from next year plenty of time to get their vaccination.”
This policy doesn’t come as much of a surprise
While we’ve seen some airlines add vaccine requirements for employees, we haven’t seen many major airlines add vaccine requirements for passengers. The only other airline I can think of is Qantas, which announced this policy back in 2020, and recently reaffirmed it. Furthermore, Canada has announced that vaccination will be required for air travel, but that’s a government policy rather than an airline policy.
I figure if there are going to be some airlines with this policy, it’s no surprise that those from Australia and New Zealand would be among the first. That’s especially true when you consider that vaccination could be a requirement for international travel to & from New Zealand in general.
New Zealand has had among the tightest border restrictions of any country during the pandemic. With New Zealand’s latest plan for reopening borders, the country hopes to once again welcome visitors for low-risk countries as of early 2022, in conjunction with the country reaching a high vaccination rate. It’s anyone’s guess if that plan actually sticks, because suffice to say that the pandemic has thrown us a few curveballs.
Bottom line
Air New Zealand has become the second global airline to announce plans to require passengers to be vaccinated in order to fly. As of February 2022, the airline will require all adults on international flights to be vaccinated.
New Zealand’s general plan to reopen borders still hasn’t been finalized, so it’s anyone’s guess if international travel to & from New Zealand is even possible by then.
Air NZ gives me another reason to never fly with them again. I've found their service over the years to be in decline. Now they are segregating people who can all transmit the virus whether vaccinated or not, great logic there morons.
I agree with Air New Zealdn
@ Peter........... Seriously, you have been feeding at the Trough of Stupidity for Tooooo Toooo long. You may be the #1 Covidiot out there!! Clap, clap, clap.
P.S. No, and I mean NO one gives 2 rat s*&%s whether you fly on Air NZ or to NZ and Australia again. Good Riddance.
I guess we will see who has been feeding at the trough of stupidity... admitting we were wrong requires balls. Let's see where you're at in a few years seeing the goal post moving further and further away. Don't forget your "boosty"!
I started reading this thread a while ago, sighed and moved on. Despite a courageous poster telling (mainly) Americans to check their politics before commenting, it's been 'interesting'.
Nobody is forcing anyone to do anything. You are not being forced to be vaccinated. You can do whatever you like. BUT if you choose not to be vaccinated, you can't fly with Air New Zealand. That . is . all. There are other airlines.
Air New...
I started reading this thread a while ago, sighed and moved on. Despite a courageous poster telling (mainly) Americans to check their politics before commenting, it's been 'interesting'.
Nobody is forcing anyone to do anything. You are not being forced to be vaccinated. You can do whatever you like. BUT if you choose not to be vaccinated, you can't fly with Air New Zealand. That . is . all. There are other airlines.
Air New Zealand will not go broke (at least not because of this). Kiwis (and Aussies) are rushing to vaccination clinics. They know it will help keep them alive. They will wave their vaccination passports at the check-in agents at the airport. Qantas will have the same requirements and the people will not object.
Airlines will impose rules. Countries will impose rules. They may be eased in six or twelve months' time when Covid is accepted as being widely endemic but we're not there yet. Rail against it as much as you like, but if you're not going to Aotearoa any time soon it doesn't even affect you.
@ Mike C.......
KUDOS to you and well said. Make your choice people and live with the consequences!
A whole lot of imbeciles in here. Maybe when you begin eating scraps of your government plate you will realize you have been fooled but I wouldn’t count on it. If by now you don’t question what’s going on and haven’t realized the scam, it’s too late. Goodbye Air New Zealand and goodbye New Zealand. You’re on my no fly / no fly to list.
as a New Zealand permanent resident i fully agree with you.
Crappy move... Do you also check for jabs for Meningitis, polio, and so on too?
We need to be asking the important question - will they also be maskless flights?
Also, being from US I'm not really considering NZ flights for anything in the next 2 years.
It's interesting that a vaccination is the only requirement to fly, rather than a negative covid test. Since the vaccinated can still be a carrier of the disease.
Will never fly air nz again.what a joke
@ James................. You can't fix stupid, and I'm sure Air NZ will not miss you in the future! I for one am Glad you are not flying and will put Air NZ as my #1 choice for flying to NZ or OZ. Of course, if Qantas enacts the same policy they will both be #1 in my book. :-)
Come on Biden, please do the same to protect us from James and other unvaccinated Covidiots...
@ James................. You can't fix stupid, and I'm sure Air NZ will not miss you in the future! I for one am Glad you are not flying and will put Air NZ as my #1 choice for flying to NZ or OZ. Of course, if Qantas enacts the same policy they will both be #1 in my book. :-)
Come on Biden, please do the same to protect us from James and other unvaccinated Covidiots in the US that refuse to recognize the true dangers from Covid and that over 600,000 Americans have died - It's NO joke people!!!
600.000 died because the US health system sucks.
the life expectancy is lower than many third world countries..
even backward Cuba does much better.
Bye, Felicia
Does anyone else find it interesting we are being forced to have something injected into our bodies for a "disease" so minor that we have to be tested to even know if we have it?
Do people even get tested for the flu anymore? I just figure I'm sick, so I stay home the 1 or 2 days til I'm better and move on. Also, just stop being gross, people and wash your hands, cover your mouth when you cough, just be respectful
Memo to American commenters:
Park your politics at the door before commenting on Covid related matters in New Zealand.
Generalize much? Why don't you direct your comments to the global anti-vax crowd?
Well done Air NZ!
A W E S O M E !!!
Biden - mandate in the USA... NOW!!
It’s worth having this policy if a mask is not required while flying.
Well done Air New Zealand. It’s good that you put staff, passenger and community safety first.
Explain how it's more safe. Having a vaccine does not restrict you from getting or spreading covid. It just makes it highly likely that you won't end up in the hospital due to complications. So having a plane full of vaccinated folks does what exactly?
Takes the 99.99% of survival to 99.9999%! So yes more safe!
Saves lives.
@Alonzo
It keeps people out of hospitals and allows them to live their lives normally. Who cares if you get the flu or covid, if you're vaxxed it's a non-issue. Get it and move on with your life.
Airlines don't want the risk associated with flying someone who is at risk of being severely sick and contagious as a result of being un-vaxxed. It's also about security theatre, if everyone onboard is vaxxed, then people...
@Alonzo
It keeps people out of hospitals and allows them to live their lives normally. Who cares if you get the flu or covid, if you're vaxxed it's a non-issue. Get it and move on with your life.
Airlines don't want the risk associated with flying someone who is at risk of being severely sick and contagious as a result of being un-vaxxed. It's also about security theatre, if everyone onboard is vaxxed, then people feel more comfortable flying at all, let alone sans mask for example.
That doesn't really matter, what matters is there is nothing you can do about it because it's not your call, fall in line or fall out pal.
Against a person . Human Rights and discrimination to those who are not jabbed with a experimental vaccine The Air NZ CEO has no authority to make it mandatory . neither the NZ PM can not mandate this , A vaxed passenger may have the virus and then infect others.
@ Craig................. You can't fix stupid, and you sir are as dumb as they get!
Your choice Craig; Get a Jab or fly someone other than Air NZ!!
Having the vaccine means that your chances of being positive (and therefore able to transmit the virus to someone else) at any given time are lower than if you are not vaccinated. It also means that if you are positive, the amount of virus in your body is likely to be lower than if you are not vaccinated, which means that the likelihood of transmitting the virus to someone else is lower than for an...
Having the vaccine means that your chances of being positive (and therefore able to transmit the virus to someone else) at any given time are lower than if you are not vaccinated. It also means that if you are positive, the amount of virus in your body is likely to be lower than if you are not vaccinated, which means that the likelihood of transmitting the virus to someone else is lower than for an unvaccinated positive person.
Requiring vaccination reduces risk. It doesn't eliminate it. That is what "a plan full of vaccinated folks does," exactly.
For a ""pandemic"" with a 99.5% survival rate!!!! The madness of these uninformed woke dim wits continues. When Air NZ go broke will they expect the unvaxxed taxes to bail them out... again?
Hopefully there will be a Nuremberg trial with the CEO's name on it for discrimination and forcing returning Kiwis into taking an experimental vaccine that doesn't even work!!! Yes....forcing! People want to come home, and he is giving them mo choice. Imagine the outrage if Air NZ discriminated against AIDs passengers, or alcoholics or obese or Africans without an Ebola vaccine. What a despicable evil Airline. And will the unvaccinated tax payers be expected to...
Hopefully there will be a Nuremberg trial with the CEO's name on it for discrimination and forcing returning Kiwis into taking an experimental vaccine that doesn't even work!!! Yes....forcing! People want to come home, and he is giving them mo choice. Imagine the outrage if Air NZ discriminated against AIDs passengers, or alcoholics or obese or Africans without an Ebola vaccine. What a despicable evil Airline. And will the unvaccinated tax payers be expected to bail them out again when they go broke?
Wow. You are really dumb.
So pedophiles, murderers, drug dealers, people with Ebola/Aids/Bird flu, drug addicts, and a host of others can fly, but a healthy person with no experimental vaccine can't?
Idiotic. Oh, and the vaccine doesn't even work. What a despicable uninformed woke moron in charge.
stop smoking crack. And stay off Facebook
You can’t catch being a drug dealer from other people
@Derejk It sounds like this policy will at least have the benefit of keeping you off my flights. So there's that.
Fine policy, but Air New Zealand isn’t going to have many non-NZ international customers for a very long time.
COVID is/will be endemic everywhere. Any new entry policy will cause local cases, and the government will shut everything down again.
YES. YES. YES!
They're not the first, Pakistan Airlines have had this policy even for domestic flights now for a while.
As someone who's medically exempt, I'm glad they've given at least us an exemption, but worried about the precedent this sets.
Personal liberties should be paramount, and no group should be discriminated against because they didn't get the vaccine. It's a personal decision between you and your doctor.
Personal liberties stop when your actions or presence could put others at risk. I'm fine with medical exemptions (so long as its not like that Chiropractor in Florida who was handing out exemptions for everything).
You don't have to be fine with anything. Nobody needs approval from you.
You have the right to not fly Air New Zealand…
It must have been tough to get home schooled or home school your kids because you didn’t want the measle vaccine for you or your kids. Or wait did you act like a hypocrite and get the shot? Hmmm
Yes a lot of decisions should be made between you and your doctors. Unfortunately a certain state wants to reward outsiders with a $10000 reward for meddling between a woman and her doctor.
Your "personal liberties" (barf) do not include the right to infect someone with Covid and drag out the economic recovery.
Ironic the "personal liberty" folks support shredding the constitution and installing an authoritarian government.
Having a vaccine does not restrict you from getting or spreading covid. It just makes it highly likely that you won't end up in the hospital due to complications. So having a plane full of vaccinated folks does what exactly?
@Alonzo, John: The vaccine *reduces* the risk of spreading covid, by reducing your odds of being symptomatic, and by reducing the number of viral particles you shed.
The only thing a vaccine does is keep you from potential serious side effects. How is an unvaccinated person impacting you since the vaccinate can infect and can get infected.
Makes sense that NZ might want to make sure that anyone coming into the country is less likely to end up in the ICU.
The vaccine doesn't stop you being an asymptomatic transmitter. It only helps if you end up in ICU. Serously...
Your personal liberty ends at the tip of my nose. Now sit down and shut up.
And whether you are allowed on their planes is a personal decision by the owners.