America Airlines – COVID-19: Should vaccine be mandatory for airline workers?

Read more: COVID-19 vaccination: Mandatory request or PR nightmare?

“For me, because I have confidence in the safety of the vaccine – and I recognise it’s controversial – I think the right thing to do is for United Airlines, and for other companies, to require the vaccines and to make them mandatory,” Kirby told employees in a town hall meeting Thursday.

To revive the industry badly hit by pandemic travel restrictions, the CEO believes it’s going to take the immunisation efforts of more than one company or industry.

“I don’t think United will get away with and can realistically be the only company that requires vaccines and makes them mandatory,” Kirby said, calling on other employers to “show leadership”.

Other US carriers, such as Delta and American Airlines, are encouraging – but not requiring – employees to get inoculated. Meanwhile, Southwest Airlines is making the vaccine available for free, but hasn’t made it mandatory either.