Mike McNaney, President and CEO of the National Airlines Council of Canada, which represents Canada’s largest air carriers (Air Canada, Air Transat, Jazz Aviation LP and WestJet) released the following statement in response to August 13th announcement by the federal government that employees in federally regulated industries, including aviation, must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by the end of October, and that new vaccination rules will apply for domestic air travel:

“Since the outset of the pandemic, Canada’s major airlines have been committed to protecting employee, passenger and public health.  As we review today’s announcement in detail to fully understand the obligations being placed on the sector, we remain committed to working with the federal government and our respective labour and employee groups as we proceed with implementation of the government’s new mandatory vaccination policy for airline employees.  We will also be seeking further details and clarifications from government concerning new vaccination requirements for domestic air travel.  

As these new policies are implemented, Canada’s major carriers will maintain their ongoing support for vaccination campaigns, while continuing to invest heavily in the safe restart of travel and tourism in order to drive our national economic recovery in every region of the country.”