Etihad Airways world's first airline to vaccinate 100% of cabin crew and pilots

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab Emirates, has become the first airline in the world to have vaccinated all its operating pilots and cabin crew against COVID19.

This achievement was made possible through Etihad’s "Protected Together" employee vaccination initiative which was formally launched in January of this year.

Tony Douglas, Group Chief Executive Officer, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “We proactively made the vaccine available to all our employees to not only help combat the effects of COVID19 but to make travelers feel confident and reassured the next time they fly with us. We are the only airline in the world to make COVID19 testing mandatory for every passenger and crew member before every flight and now, we’re the first airline in the world with 100% vaccinated crew on board.

“I chose very early on to be vaccinated to demonstrate my own support of the national vaccination program and to encourage everyone at Etihad who was eligible for the vaccine, to receive it as soon as possible. I would like to thank the entire Etihad family for everything they have done to help us reach this milestone – I am truly humbled.”

Following the UAE Government’s target to vaccinate half of the UAE population by the end of March, Etihad is ahead of schedule with over 75% of its entire workforce already having received at least one dose of the vaccine. This figure will continue to grow as more employees step forward and choose to vaccinate.

Dr Nadia Bastaki, Vice President Medical Services and CSR, Etihad Aviation Group, said, “Following the national vaccination program, we worked tirelessly to become an approved COVID19 vaccination clinic to support our staff, and their dependents, be able to easily access the vaccine. Since December 2020, we have been offering in-house vaccination appointments to our employees and their loved ones to ensure we are focused on our employee’s wellbeing.”

© Asia Travel Tips