Customers planning to travel on Air New Zealand international flights will need to be fully vaccinated for COVID-19 from 1 February 2022.

Air New Zealand’s Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran said we’re getting ready to reconnect with the world and letting customers know what they need to do to be ready to take off when we can.

“Being vaccinated against COVID-19 is the new reality of international travel – many of the destinations Kiwis want to visit are already closed to unvaccinated visitors. The quicker we get vaccinated, the sooner we can fly Kiwis to places like New York, Vancouver and Narita.”

The mandate is in addition to measures already taken by the airline to keep New Zealand safe.

“It’s not just customers who will be required to be vaccinated – it’s everyone on board an Air New Zealand aircraft travelling internationally, adding to the health and safety measures we already have in place.”

While some people will disagree with the mandate, Mr Foran said this is the right thing to do to protect everyone.

“We’ll spend the next few months making sure we get this right, ensuring it works as smoothly as possible for our customers. This also gives anyone wanting to travel from next year plenty of time to get their vaccination.”

The vaccination requirement will apply to all passengers aged 18 years and above.

Customers who are not inoculated will need to prove the vaccine was not a viable option for them for medical reasons.

The airline is working on rolling out a Travel Pass app to assist travellers.