The next big trend in pandemic-era travel is likely to be a requirement to show proof of vaccination before flying. Qantas chief Alan Joyce says he’s already in discussions with fellow airline heads about the possibility of creating a uniform ‘vaccination passport’ to avoid conflicting documents and rules.
The issue is upfront especially for Australia, which has barred nearly everyone from entering since the pandemic began, and only allows Australians to leave under special circumstances.
Joyce told Australia’s Network Nine TV that “We are looking at changing the terms and conditions to say for international travellers that we will ask people to have the vaccination before they get on the aircraft… What we are looking at is how you can have a vaccination passport, an electronic version of it, that certifies what the vaccine is, is it acceptable to the country you are traveling to.”
Even once vaccination becomes widespread, most industry experts agree that masks and other precautions will have to stay on for months, if not years, until the pandemic is truly over.
