Qantas to require COVID-19 vaccination for international travellers

File Pic

Australia's Qantas will insist in future that international travellers have a COVID-19 vaccination before they fly, describing the move as "a necessity".

"We are looking at changing our terms and conditions to say, for international travellers, that we will ask people to have a vaccination before they can get on the aircraft," Chief Executive Alan Joyce told broadcaster Channel Nine.

"Whether you need that domestically, we will have to see what happens with COVID-19 in the market. But certainly, for international visitors coming out and people leaving the country, we think that's a necessity."

Australia closed its international borders in March during the first wave of the pandemic and currently requires returning travellers from overseas to quarantine for two weeks.

Australia's Victoria state, meanwhile, the country's virus hotspot, said on Tuesday it had zero active cases of coronavirus for the first time in more than eight months, putting it on track to effectively eliminate the virus.

Australia's second-most populous state reported zero new cases for a 25th straight day, having imposed restrictions on public movement and shut down large parts of the economy after daily infections peaked at more than 700 in early August.

Victoria accounts for more than 73 per cent of the country's total virus cases and 90 per cent of national deaths. Australia has reported more than 27,800 cases and 907 deaths since the pandemic began.

More from Business

  • ADX, DFM to resume trading

    Trading and settlement activities on the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and Dubai Financial Market (DFM) will resume on Wednesday, March 4.

  • UAE, Ecuador announce CEPA agreement signing

    His Highness Sheikh Khaled bin Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi, and President of Ecuador Daniel Noboa have announced the signing of a Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement (CEPA) between the two nations on Sunday.

  • DFSA announces closure of Nasdaq Dubai exchange

    The Dubai Financial Services Authority (DFSA), has announced the temporary closure of Nasdaq Dubai exchange on Monday, March 2, and Tuesday, March 3, due to the ongoing regional developments.

  • UAE capital markets to remain closed until further notice

    The UAE Capital Market Authority has announced that the Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) and Dubai Financial Market (DFM) will be closed from Monday, 2 March 2026, until further notice.

  • Abu Dhabi to cover costs of extended hotel stays after missile strikes

    Abu Dhabi's Department of Culture and Tourism has issued an official circular to hotel managers across the emirate instructing them to extend the stays of guests who are unable to depart due to travel disruptions following missile and drone attacks from Iran.