Airlines rush to get their workforce vaccinated

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In anticipation of rising travel demand on the back of an accelerated vaccination programme, several domestic airlines are planning to initiate an internal inoculation drive for their workforce. Accordingly, low-cost carrier GoAir will soon commence a programme to get its entire workforce vaccinated free of cost. The airline has tied up with various hospitals in different cities for the vaccination programme. "The airline will bear the cost for both vaccine doses," it said.

Besides, GoAir has also planned to allow the vaccinated employees to take two days' leave over and above the entitled threshold. At present, the airline has 4,481 employees in its workforce, who will get vaccinated. Another airline -- SpiceJet -- will start an inoculation drive for all its employees from May 17. The company-sponsored vaccination drive will start from Delhi and Gurugram and will cover SpiceJet employees across all the stations on the airline's network.

In addition, the airline will make efforts to facilitate vaccination for the families of employees going forward. "The first ones to get vaccinated will be the frontline employees of the airline, including airport staff and in-flight crew," SpiceJet said in a statement. "The vaccination programme will be undertaken as per the government rules and guidelines and on the basis of availability of vaccine doses," it added.

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Last week, the Centre had issued enabling guidelines to facilitate vaccination of the civil aviation community. The development came after the Civil Aviation Secretary in a letter requested all the state governments to consider the personnel involved in aviation and related services as a priority group under the vaccination programme.

As per the guidelines, all players in the sector have been advised to cover their personnel under the ongoing vaccination drive. The guidelines stated that the organisations which have already made arrangements for vaccination of their employees may "continue to do so".

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