Etihad Becomes First Airline To Vaccinate All Operational Crew

Would you be more likely to fly an airline knowing that every flight attendant and pilot onboard was vaccinated against Covid-19? Abu Dhabi-based Etihad is betting a lot of potential passengers would, and has been hard at work vaccinating 100% of its operational pilots and onboard crew against the disease. What’s more, 75% of its entire workforce has already received at least one dose of the vaccine so far as part of the United Arab Emirates’ goal to vaccinate at least half its population by the end of March.

“We proactively made the vaccine available to all our employees to not only help combat the effects of COVID-19 but to make travelers feel confident and reassured the next time they fly with us,” explained Etihad Aviation Group chief executive officer, Tony Douglas. “We are the only airline in the world to make Covid-19 testing mandatory for every passenger and crew member before every flight and now, we’re the first airline in the world with 100% vaccinated crew on board.”

Even more interesting – getting a jab was not mandatory. Instead, crew were given the choice of whether to do so or not. However, the airline made it clear that staffers who refused a vaccine and subsequently became ill with coronavirus would not be entitled to paid sick leave or health insurance benefits. The airline began vaccinating employees in December and was one of the first companies in Abu Dhabi to secure spots in the U.A.E.’s Emergency Use Program vaccination regimen. 

In order to get vaccines to its frontline workers this quickly, Etihad’s medical center became an approved Covid-19 vaccination clinic that could offer in-house inoculation appointments to employees and family members. Etihad also put together virtual talks to connect staff with medical professionals in order to provide them with background information on the shot, as well as setting up mobile clinics to that people could get vaccinated while at work. The specific vaccine being deployed is from Sinopharm, which has been shown to be 79% effective after two doses in clinical trials.

As for Douglas, he hoped that by getting the jab himself, he would be an example to the rest of the airline’s employees. “I chose very early on to be vaccinated to demonstrate my own support of the national vaccination program and to encourage everyone at Etihad who was eligible for the vaccine, to receive it as soon as possible,” he said.

Although his airline is the first, competitors are hoping to catch up. Both Etihad’s next-door neighbor, Emirates, as well as Singapore Airlines announcing intentions to vaccinate their entire workforces. Efforts at both carriers are already well underway. Emirates is using both the Pfizer-BioNTech and Sinopharm vaccines, while Singapore Airlines is reportedly using the Pfizer version. In the U.S., meanwhile, United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby suggested that vaccines should be mandatory for the carrier’s workers, though that is unlikely to be a reality anytime soon given the relatively slow rollout of doses across the country.

Among the other Covid credentials Etihad is burnishing, the airline was awarded Diamond status for cleanliness and sanitization measures in the first audit by APEX Health, powered by SimpliFlying. It has also partnered with the International Air Transport Association to trial the new IATA Travel Pass mobile app, which is like a digital passport that can help passengers receive and keep track of Covid test results and vaccination records, and ensure their eligibility to travel to various destinations. Personal data implications aside, that could be all the more important considering more nations are requiring proof of Covid negativity in order to enter, and some might eventually require incoming travelers to present proof of vaccination.

Etihad’s announcement today that its frontline staff have all received at least one vaccination dose should be welcome news to potential passengers looking for a measure of safety on their journey. Hopefully other airlines will soon follow suit with similar announcements of their own, and vaccinated workforces can help revive ailing air hubs around the globe.