United Airlines Inc.
on Friday became the first US airline in need of all domestic employees to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
The airline said 67,000 US employees need to show evidence of vaccination, five weeks after administration of US food and medicine fully approved one vaccine from Pfizer Inc., Moderna Inc.
or Johnson & Johnson – expected in the fall – or in October.
, 25, which is earlier.
United said 90% of the pilots and 80% of flight attendants were vaccinated.
Awakening Covid-19 in the United States because the more contagious Delta variant has encouraged the US center for controlling and prevention of disease (CDC) to restore indoor mask guides for most of the Americans who are vaccinated.
Some companies need vaccinations at work or delay the return schedule to the office.
“The facts are clear: everyone is safer when everyone is vaccinated,” said United Chief Executive Scott Kirby and President Brett Hart said in a letter to employees.
The US Airlines rebounded from the brutal 2020 when a slowdown on the trip because the pandemic forced them to cut flights, leave employees and borrow government money to cover wages.
Kirby and Hart said they expected some employees would disagree with the decision but added that the instructions were issued to make the workplace safer.
Employees who were vaccinated before September 20 and those who had received their shots would get additional payment days.
The mandate coincides with increasing concerns over the impact of the Delta variant.
On Thursday, Frontier Airlines lowered the third quarter estimate and warned Delta variant injuring requests.
Union Pilots Union, representing more than 12,000 pilots, said vaccine requirements require further negotiations with United, adding that some pilots disagree with the mandate.
Some foreign destinations have needed a vaccine for US airline employees.
The flight attendant association, trade unions represent flight attendants, support the move.
“Now there is too much risk not to ensure the safety and welfare of flight attendants,” Union said in a statement.
“Covid-19 is a threat.
There are strategies that are proven to reduce the threat.
Vaccination is needed to end the pandemic and health and economic damage caused.” United based in Chicago has reached an agreement with the Pilot Union in May which did not make mandatory vaccination, but gave additional salaries to those who received it.
Some other large industries such as US car makers have restored mask requirements but refused to mandate vaccines for employees.