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Third Australian airline enforces vaccine mandate

Published

5 years ago

September 20, 2021

Anthony Lucas

A third Australian airline has moved to mandate the COVID vaccine amongst staff

Rex Airlines on Monday confirmed the vaccine will be mandated to all of the airline’s frontline, customer facing staff.

Employees have until November 1, 2021 to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.

The mandate makes Rex the first Australian airline to achieve that goal, and would include company employees working at check-in and all pilots and cabin crew across its regional and domestic networks.

The airline reassures that passengers onboard Rex flights will be travelling in “the safest possible circumstances” as all crew will be vaccinated.

“We have a duty of care to both our passengers and staff to provide the safest possible
environment,”
Rex Deputy Chairman, the Hon John Sharp AM, said.

Rex confirmed it would offer the small number of unvaccinated frontline staff non customer facing roles wherever available, while unvaccinated office staff will be required to wear a mask while at work.

“As we provide an essential service operating to regional centres and remote communities
throughout Australia, it is incumbent upon us to do whatever we can to help those residents remain safe and healthy.”

Rex is Australia’s largest independent regional and domestic airline operating a fleet of 60 Saab 340 and six Boeing 737-800NG aircraft to 62 destinations throughout all states in Australia.