Pilots turn down vaccine
Many New Zealand pilots are turning down the opportunity to be vaccinated against Covid-19, and are instead taking a ‘‘wait and see’’ approach to the vaccine rollout, a union says.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern said employers had until April 30 to get their border workers vaccinated and those who were not would need to be moved from the front line. Pilots and cabin crew are regarded as border workers. ‘‘By the end of April those not vaccinated will not be permitted to work in those high risk workplaces and will be moved to other roles.’’
Andrew Ridling, president of the NZ Airline Pilots’ Association which represents 1930 pilots including about 1000 at Air NZ, said that while most of its members were prepared to get vaccinated, ‘‘many members’’ were choosing not to.
‘‘There are many members that have indicated they are not anti-vax but are prepared to wait and see how the vaccine rollout looks,’’ Ridling said.
‘‘We cannot put a number on that but feedback suggests there are a number in this area.’’
Air NZ had not indicated any change to the way those that were vaccinated would be treated compared with those that were not, he said.
Ridling, who has been vaccinated, said he understood the arguments from those choosing to take the wait and see approach.
‘‘The risk assessments undertaken by the Ministry of Health and Air NZ around isolation both in New Zealand and overseas do not change that assessment whether the vaccination has been received or not.’’
Air NZ crew returning from higher risk places, which include Los Angeles and San Francisco, must self-isolate in a prearranged hotel for 48 hours. In isolation, they undergo a medical examination and nasopharyngeal test (swab up the nose) for Covid-19.
All other New Zealand-based international air crew are exempt from 14-day isolation.
Ridling said the union had not been provided with the number of members taking up the vaccine.
Quarantine-free travel from Australia to New Zealand begins on Monday.
Passengers do not have to be vaccinated but they will have to wear masks on board and complete a pre-departure health declaration. Airlines must ensure flights are flown by crew who have not flown on any high risk routes for two weeks.
Both Air NZ and Qantas did not respond directly to questions about whether trans-tasman air crew will be vaccinated before the trans-tasman bubble starts.
An Air NZ spokeswoman said the Ministry of Health was running the vaccination programme and was periodically informing Air NZ of how many employees had been vaccinated.
‘‘We are expecting an updated figure from MOH shortly and can share once we have it.’’
A Qantas spokeswoman said there was no requirement for pilots or crew to be vaccinated to operate trans-tasman bubble flights. ‘‘All of our trans-tasman crew and pilots will meet the New Zealand Government’s green zone requirements of not travelling to any high risk areas in the 14 days before operating these services.’’
Air NZ chief operating officer Carrie Hurihanganui said it had been working closely with the Ministry of Health and district health boards to support the vaccination of airline staff.
It was not ‘‘currently’’ a requirement for ‘‘existing’’ Air NZ staff to have the vaccine in order to carry out their duties, she said.
‘‘By the end of April those not vaccinated will ... be moved to other roles.’’
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern