The US government has ordered all airlines to mandate that their employees get a flu shot by December 8 or be fired. This is in response to the recent outbreak of H1N1, otherwise known as swine flu.
The which airlines require covid vaccine for employees is a question that has been asked many times. It is important to know which airlines are mandating the vaccination before traveling.
By December 8, the Biden administration wants airlines to mandate employee vaccinations.
on October 1, 2021 by Gary Leff
United Airlines claimed a vaccination compliance rate of above 99 percent. Employees had to either be vaccinated or obtain a religious or medical exemption, but those with an exemption were not permitted to work. The unpaid leave policy was unveiled (1) on the same day as a White House gathering for airline CEOs and (2) just before the President announced a series of vaccination requirements.
Over 4000 pilots on American Airlines are unvaccinated. To retain their employment, they will have to get vaccinated, according to pending federal regulations. The airline has discussed two possible degrees of requirements.
- They must be properly immunized as a federal contractor.
- They’ll have to demand immunization or weekly testing as a business with over 200 employees.
Pilots have requested to postpone vaccination requirements, saying that a shortage of cockpit personnel may derail the Christmas travel season.
Of course, the applicable OSHA regulations have yet to be published. Nonetheless, during the epidemic, the airlines got $79 billion in direct assistance from the federal government, and commercial aviation is one of the most highly regulated sectors in the nation. The major US carriers used to act as though they were opposed to government intervention in the sector. They’re now looking for additional subsidies, this time for next-generation, ecologically friendly gasoline.
As a result, they pay attention when the President talks. The Biden administration is also requiring that airlines be inoculated as soon as possible.
According to the sources, White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeffrey Zients met with the CEOs of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and Southwest Airlines on Thursday to ensure that they are working quickly to develop and enforce vaccine requirements ahead of a December 8 deadline for federal contractors.
Some airline executives have requested that the restrictions be postponed until after the hectic Christmas travel season.
Other than United, no other airline has been prepared to use such a heavy hammer. Delta has imposed a health-care fee for employees who have not been vaccinated. In 2022, American has given a $50 scrip and a day off.
Notice that airline executives, concerned about their Christmas business, aren’t proposing that they give up their government contractor status, which allows them to transport mail as cargo and accept yearly fees to join the Civil Reserve Air Fleet program. The government income source is the club that will persuade Delta, American, Southwest, and other airlines to join United.
Pilots will have to be vaccinated to fly if the Biden administration does not blink. They don’t even have to wear masks in the cockpit right now.
While many unvaccinated pilots will get vaccinated, and union senior regulations make it more difficult for senior pilots to just quit and fly for someone else, the fear is that the most senior pilots may retire. As a consequence of union regulations, this will have a cascade effect, forcing pilots to be retrained on alternative equipment.
More From the Wing’s Perspective
The vaccine mandates by state is a federal law that requires airlines to mandate employee vaccinations. This law was passed in 2016, but the implementation date has been delayed until December 8, 2020.
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