qantas travel covid requirements

Advertisement

Qantas becomes one of the first airlines to require that international passengers be vaccinated.

The chief executive of the airline’s parent company said he hoped the policy would be in place “by Christmas."

• Share full article

By Heather Murphy

• Sept. 9, 2021

Qantas, Australia’s largest airline, will require that all passengers on international flights are vaccinated against the coronavirus when it restarts worldwide operations in December, its chief executive said Wednesday, making it one of the first airlines in the world to require proof of vaccination for everyone on board.

Alan Joyce, the chief executive of the airline’s parent company, Qantas Group, made the announcement in an interview with the Trans-Tasman Business Circle, a network for business leaders in Australia and New Zealand.

“Qantas will have a policy that internationally we’ll only be carrying vaccinated passengers because we think that’s going to be one of the requirements to show that you’re flying safe,” he said, adding that many countries are requiring arriving travelers to be vaccinated anyway. He said he hoped the policy would be in place “by Christmas.”

Qantas, which is headquartered in Sydney, suspended international operations during the pandemic — but did resume flights to New Zealand in April this year before suspending them again on July 31 . The airline plans to restart flights abroad in December. Mr. Joyce said in November of last year that he was considering banning unvaccinated travelers on international flights, but did not offer a timeline.

Other airlines have announced that they will require flight attendants and pilots to be vaccinated, but few other airlines have committed to banning unvaccinated passengers. Air Canada seems to be the only other airline that is poised to soon begin turning away unvaccinated passengers. By the end of October , the Canadian government will require all commercial airline employees and passengers to be vaccinated. Air Canada endorsed the government’s position in August.

Leonard J. Marcus, the co-director of the National Preparedness Leadership Initiative at Harvard University and the director of an initiative focused on public health on flights, said he hoped that other airlines would follow Qantas’s lead.

“I think this would be a bold and courageous step in the right direction,” he said. Requiring passenger vaccinations is currently easier in Australia than in other parts of the world, he said, because the country has a uniform system of validating vaccination status , in contrast to places like the United States.

A spokeswoman for Qantas said that the airline would permit people who cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons to fly, but the policy for children too young to be eligible for vaccination has not yet been finalized.

Qantas has made vaccination central to its marketing strategy throughout the pandemic. A recent television ad , which has been widely shared, shows Australians longing to travel and then getting vaccinations before heading off on international flights.

Heather Murphy is a reporter on the Travel desk. She welcomes tips, questions and complaints about traveling during the pandemic. More about Heather Murphy

Qantas passengers will need COVID-19 vaccine for international travel, Alan Joyce says

Australia's largest airline will require passengers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before they will be allowed to travel on an international flight.

Key points:

• Alan Joyce says the rule will apply to anyone entering or leaving Australia on a Qantas flight
• He's also considering extending it to domestic flights
• Flights between Sydney and Melbourne ramped up on Monday

Speaking on Channel Nine's A Current Affair on Monday night, Qantas boss Alan Joyce said he believed it would be a necessity for passengers to be vaccinated once a vaccine is available.

And he said the company was looking into the possibility of requiring passengers to have a vaccination passport which would allow them to travel.

International travel has been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, with flights cut and airlines laying off staff.

"We are looking at changing our terms and conditions, to say for international, that we will ask people to have a vaccination before getting on the aircraft," Mr Joyce confirmed.

"We think for international visitors coming out, and people leaving the country, we think that's a necessity."

The Qantas CEO said the company would consider the same requirements for domestic flights.

He said he had talked to the chief executives of other international carriers who were also considering making vaccination mandatory for travel.

A vaccination passport is being touted as a method of proving passengers have been vaccinated.

"What we're looking at is how you can have a vaccination passport, an electronic version of it that certifies what the vaccine is," Mr Joyce said.

"There's a lot of logistics, a lot of technology to make this happen, but the airlines and the government are working on this as we speak."

Recently there have been encouraging test results from a number of COVID-19 vaccine candidates.

On Monday pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca said some testing showed its vaccine's efficiency was as high as 90 per cent .

A vaccine candidate produced by the University of Queensland and biotech company CSL is also about to move to important stage 3 trials.

In the United States, pharmaceutical company Pfizer has asked regulators to allow emergency use of its COVID-19 vaccine, after testing showed it was 95 per cent effective.

On Monday Qantas reinstated flights between Sydney and Melbourne after the reopening of the border between New South Wales and Victoria.

• X (formerly Twitter)

Related Stories

Thousands of qantas ground workers make last-ditch bid to save jobs from being outsourced.

Pfizer asks US regulators to allow emergency use of experimental COVID-19 vaccine

Qantas closes airport desks in favour of self-service

Qantas to cut 6,000 jobs, grounds most international flights until July 2021

AstraZeneca says COVID-19 vaccine developed with Oxford can be up to 90 per cent effective

• Diseases and Disorders
• Epidemics and Pandemics
• Travel Health and Safety
• Travel and Tourism (Lifestyle and Leisure)

• Search Please fill out this field.
• Manage Your Subscription
• Give a Gift Subscription
• Sweepstakes

Qantas Will Require Vaccines for Passengers When It Resumes International Flights

Qantas is gearing up to resume international flights to the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan by the end of the year.

Australian airline Qantas plans to require passengers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 before boarding when international flights resume.

"Qantas will have a policy that internationally we'll only be carrying vaccinated passengers," Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce said while speaking at the Trans-Tasman Business Circle on Tuesday, according to news.com.au . "Because we think that's going to be one of the requirements to show that you're flying safe and getting into those countries. We're hoping that can happen by Christmas."

Qantas is gearing up to resume international flights to the United States, United Kingdom, and Japan by the end of the year, focusing on destinations with both high demand and low COVID-19 risk. The airline shut down its international operations in March 2020 and its aircraft have not left Australia since, flying popular flights "to nowhere ."

International travel won't resume until the country reaches an 80% vaccination rate, however New South Wales Premier Gladys Berejiklian has said domestic and regional travel in Australia can resume when the country hits a 70% vaccination rate, news.com.au reported. So far, 39.7% of people over 16 are fully vaccinated, according to the government's COVID-19 data .

Officials have previously said borders may not open until 2022 .

For its part, Qantas has encouraged passengers to get vaccinated by giving away the chance to win free air travel for a year.

When it comes to its employees, the airline will require all frontline staff (like pilots and cabin crew) to be vaccinated by Nov. 15, and require all remaining employees to get the shot by the end of March 2022, news.com.au reported.

A representative for the airline did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Travel + Leisure .

Qantas isn't alone in mandating air passengers be vaccinated. Canada will require all air and cruise passengers to be fully vaccinated before traveling as soon as this fall. And France requires any domestic air, long-distance train, or bus passengers to have a digital health pass , which people can get by showing they are fully vaccinated or by showing a negative test taken within 72 hours.

In the U.S., several airlines have crafted policies to require the vaccine for employees but stopped short of mandating it for passengers.

Alison Fox is a contributing writer for Travel + Leisure. When she's not in New York City, she likes to spend her time at the beach or exploring new destinations and hopes to visit every country in the world. Follow her adventures on Instagram .

Australian Government Department of Health and Aged Care

COVID-19 and travel

Find out about travel requirements and steps you can take to stay safe.

Domestic travel within Australia

Domestic travel requirements are determined by state and territory governments. Check the websites of local health departments for information about travel to:

• Australian Capital Territory
• New South Wales
• Northern Territory
• South Australia
• Western Australia .

Travelling overseas

The Australian Government does not currently have any COVID-19 requirements in place for travellers entering and departing Australia.

COVID-19 however continues to pose a health risk in Australia and overseas. We strongly encourage wearing masks and being vaccinated while travelling internationally. You should practice good cough and hand hygiene, and physically distance from others where possible.

Some countries, airlines and vessel operators may have COVID-19 travel requirements in place. Check the requirements of any:

• countries you are travelling to, or transiting through
• airlines or vessel operators.
• Smartraveller website
• Australian Government – international travel information .

Travel insurance

Travel insurance is important if you become sick with COVID-19 overseas. Make sure your insurance includes:

• transit destinations
• inclusions for COVID-19
• other add-ons like cruise specific insurance.

Some destinations also require travellers to hold travel insurance as a condition of entry.

Cruise travel

Check with your cruise provider or travel agent for up-to-date travel requirements for your ship and destination/s. You can also contact the relevant state or territory government to find out if any requirements apply for your destination.

Outbreaks onboard a cruise

Cruise ships carry a higher risk for spreading disease compared to other types of travel. COVID-19, influenza, and other infectious diseases spread easily between people living and socialising in close quarters.

If an outbreak of COVID-19 occurs on your cruise, you may need to:

• quarantine on the ship
• disembark and follow the local rules in the state or territory or country you are in.

Before you travel, check the  Smartraveller advice on cruises . Contact your travel agent or cruise operator for specific information on their COVID-19 safety protocols.

• Coronavirus (COVID-19)

Is there anything wrong with this page?

Help us improve health.gov.au

If you would like a response please use the enquiries form instead.

Qantas gears up digital health pass ahead of international flights resuming

The Qantas Group has announced it will work with the International Air Transport Association (IATA) to roll out a digital health pass when international flights resume.

According to Qantas, the IATA travel pass would enable certified testing labs -- with the consent of individuals -- to upload COVID-19 test results and vaccination information to the platform, which customers could then use to verify their health status with border and health officials and airline staff before receiving a green tick to travel if they met the requirements.

The company added the app would match a customer's health information against a specific flight, check the entry requirements for the country they are travelling to, and provide clearance to travel on that flight for both the customer and airline.

"We want to get our international flights back in the air and our people back to work and a digital health pass will be a key part of that," Qantas Group CIO Stephanie Tully said.

"Many governments are already requiring proof of vaccine or a negative COVID test result for international travel … a digital health pass will connect customers with COVID testing facilities, health authorities, and airlines, and ultimately enable the opening of more travel bubbles and borders."

The confirmation comes at a time when Qantas has been conducting "several digital solutions" trials on its international repatriation flights over recent months.

"The IATA travel pass will allow travellers to have their COVID test results and vaccine information verified securely, which will be their green light to fly internationally with us," Tully added.

"We're working closely with IATA to develop their travel pass to make the process as seamless as possible for Qantas and Jetstar customers as international borders start to re-open."

Air New Zealand ran trials using the IATA digital health pass over three weeks in April. It was tested by aircrew and customers who were invited to join the trial.

Last November, IATA boasted that it had reached the final development stage of a  standardised digital platform , which it claimed would enable international borders to reopen safely and allow overseas travel to resume.

The IATA Travel Pass will incorporate four open-sourced and interoperable modules that the association claims will be combined to deliver an end-to-end solution.

These modules include a global registry that enables airline passengers to find accurate information about travel, testing, and eventually vaccine requirements for their journey, as well as the location of testing and vaccination centres at their departure location, which meet the standards for vaccination requirements of their destination.

The pass will also feature a lab app to enable authorised labs and test centres to share and test vaccination certificates with passengers, and a contactless travel app so passengers are able to create a digital passport that allows them to receive test and vaccination certificates to verify they can travel, which could then be shared with airlines and authorities.

The app could also be used by travellers to manage travel documentation digitally, the IATA added.  

The IATA also outlined that all technology used to develop the pass would be decentralised to ensure that no central database holding passenger information would exist to maintain a high level of data privacy and security. Instead, passengers would have the sole right to share their data and delete it from the app at any time.

The announcement comes as Australia struggles with its vaccine rollout. As of 28 July, just over 11.5 million doses of vaccine have been administered nationally.

Related Coverage

• Singapore's Changi Airport is using digital certificates to speed up immigration checks
• COVID-19 vaccine digital certificate coming this week for Australians
• Japan to issue digital COVID-19 vaccination certificates: Report
• All air passengers entering United States must test negative to COVID-19

The best travel VPNs: Expert tested

Uber adds safety options that every rider should start using - here's how, united airlines just gave tech companies a lesson in pleasing customers.

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock Locked padlock icon ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

COVID-19 international travel advisories

If you plan to visit the U.S., you do not need to be tested or vaccinated for COVID-19. U.S. citizens going abroad, check with the Department of State for travel advisories.

COVID-19 testing and vaccine rules for entering the U.S.

• As of May 12, 2023, noncitizen nonimmigrant visitors to the U.S.  arriving by air  or  arriving by land or sea  no longer need to show proof of being fully vaccinated against COVID-19. 
• As of June 12, 2022,  people entering the U.S. no longer need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test . 

U.S. citizens traveling to a country outside the U.S.

Find country-specific COVID-19 travel rules from the Department of State.

See the  CDC's COVID-19 guidance for safer international travel.

LAST UPDATED: December 6, 2023

Have a question?

Ask a real person any government-related question for free. They will get you the answer or let you know where to find it.

• Travel Deals

Qantas discounts 100 routes in 72-hour sale

Qantas has announced a snap sale on its domestic network with the cheapest route starting at $105.

‘Fills an important gap’: Virgin’s new move

Qantas slashes fares to popular destination

Scoot launch $355 Aussie fares to Europe

Qantas has opened a quickfire three-day sale on 100 domestic routes a day after a new offering for high-rolling frequent flyers.

From Tuesday until Friday, people can book one-way tickets on one of more than 30 routes for less than $150.

Bookings can be made for May to December. The airlines says the sale offers discounts on more than one million seats.

More than 100 routes are on sale, including Launceston to Melbourne ($105), Ballina to Sydney ($1190, Sydney to Gold Coast ($129), Proserpine to Brisbane ($129), Hobart to Melbourne ($135), Brisbane to Hervey Bay ($139), Maroochydore to Sydney ($149) and Adelaide to Whyalla ($149).

On Monday, Qantas announced major changes to its frequent flyer program.

The number of frequent flyer seats available each year increased fourfold to 20 million.

It’s been a turbulent year for the former government-owned airline.

In September, chief executive Alan Joyce quit, and the High Court ruled the company illegally outsourced 1700 jobs during the Covid-19 pandemic.

In March, Qantas was fined $250,000 for breaching workplace health and safety laws. Qantas subsidiary Qantas Ground Services illegally stood down Theo Seremetidis for telling other workers to stop cleaning and servicing planes arriving from China in February 2020.

Just days after Qantas announced a major shakeup to the Frequent Flyer program, rival airline Virgin Australia has a new change for members.

A major airline has slashed airfares to a holiday destination that more than a million Australian holiday makers flock to every year.

Budget airline Scoot is selling flights from Australia to Europe from just $355, as well as other popular overseas destinations.