Air Canada ready to implement new vaccination policy

In response to the Government of Canada’s announcement that federally regulated employees in the transportation sector must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 31, 2021, Air Canada issued the following statement.

Air Canada is getting ready to implement a new vaccination policy.

Air Canada has advocated for and consistently implemented science-based measures to keep its customers and employees safe since the outbreak began. This has included encouraging employees to get vaccinated, establishing workplace clinics, and supporting community vaccination programmes to make vaccinations more widely available.

Although Air Canada is still waiting for more information on the announcement on mandatory vaccinations, it is a positive step forwards in the evolving measures to protect the health and safety of airline employees, customers, and all Canadians.

Air Canada is committed to working with its unions and the Government of Canada to effectively implement this new policy with the goal of increasing safety and streamlining the application of science-based health and safety measures in accordance with the Government’s COVID-19 Testing and Screening Expert Advisory Panel.

The panel specifically recommended for travellers: no pre-departure testing for fully vaccinated travellers; acknowledging that testing at both departure and arrival is excessive for these passengers; and that effective self-administered rapid antigen tests, which are now available, can safely replace slower and more expensive PCR testing for pre-departure tests.

Air Canada is also committed to continuing to develop and implement new safety measures and processes that are effective and convenient for customers as they become available.

Such measures are critical to the safe resumption of the air transport industry, which, in addition to allowing Canadians to travel freely, is an important driver of economic activity in Canada.