While it's not mandatory just yet, Kempis highlighted in the memo the long lead time required to recruit and train replacement crews. Therefore, the airline “may be rapidly approaching this decision point.”
Vaccine hesitancy in Hong Kong
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) highlights that 80% of pilots have now booked or received a vaccination. However, as of last week, just 40% of the carrier's cabin crew have done the same. 3,500 cabin crew have been partially vaccinated, while 2,000 have been fully vaccinated.
It's unclear why numbers are where they are at the moment- whether it's just a matter of time or if there is vaccine hesitancy among the remaining employees at the airline. Several media outlets have reported that just 16% of Hong Kong's population has been at least partially vaccinated, with 11% now fully protected- far short of the 70% required for herd immunity.
For comparison, the Financial Times notes the following rates (for at least partial vaccination):
- Israel: 60%
- UK: 55.4%
- US: 48.5%
“We disagree that the vaccination requirement should be a condition and people have different conditions that make them willing to take a vaccine or not...We do not wish the company to cut costs by pressuring people to get vaccinated or face losing their job.”
More airlines likely to follow
Delta Air Lines and airBaltic have already come out with their own requirements around aircrew and vaccinations. And as governments continue to reshape and define their international travel policies to accommodate vaccinated travelers, even more airlines will likely follow suit.
Therefore, it's also probably we'll be seeing pushback from some segments of airline workforces, who are still hesitant to get the jab.
Where do you stand on airlines requiring mandatory vaccinations for aircrew? Let us know in the comments.