American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue say all staff should be vaccinated

American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue join United Airlines in demanding that employees be vaccinated against COVID-19, as the Biden administration steps up pressure on major U.S. carriers to force vaccines.

Airlines provide special flights, freight transportation, and other services for the government. The companies say this makes them government contractors who are covered by President Joe Biden’s order ordering contractors to require employees to be vaccinated.

American Airlines CEO Doug Parker told his more than 100,000 employees on Friday evening that the airline was still working out the details, but “it’s clear that those team members who choose to remain unvaccinated will not be able to work at American Airlines “.

The American Pilots Union recently estimated that 4,200 – or 30 percent – of the airline’s pilots are unvaccinated.

Alaska Airlines and JetBlue Airways, which each employ more than 22,000 people, have told their employees they need to be vaccinated as early as Dec. 8, according to the Biden administration’s deadline, CNBC reports.

JetBlue CEO Robin Hayes and COO Joanna Geraghty told employees on Friday that the vaccination mandate is a company-wide policy affecting people working at airports , support centers and at home.

Executives also urged employees to get the jab before the rush to vacation travel.

“Our clients are counting on us to get them where they go during the holidays, and we must be prepared to fully comply with the mandate before the peak of the holidays begins and help end this pandemic,” they said. .

An Alaska Airlines spokesperson told CNBC more employees are submitting proof of vaccination after warrant was given and the airline was extending its $ 200 incentive for staff to show proof. vaccination from October 15 to December 1.

American Airlines, Alaska Airlines and JetBlue will all allow employees with religious and medical exemptions to opt out.

The move comes after United Airlines became the first major airline to demand that all of its 67,000 workers be vaccinated in August.

United Airline CEO Scott Kirby told CNN Business on Thursday that around 99% of the company’s employees are now vaccinated and the tenure has been a success that other airlines should emulate.

“It turns out to be a competitive advantage,” Kirby said. “People have come to career fairs saying they came to United Airlines because they wanted to work for a company that puts employee safety first, which means doing the right thing. ”

Kirby added that he had been in contact with other airlines to give advice on how to implement vaccination mandates.

White House coronavirus adviser Jeffrey Zients spoke to CEOs of American, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines about the vaccination warrants on Saturday.

Delta Airlines, which employs nearly 80,000 people, said it plans to impose a monthly surcharge of $ 200 on corporate health insurance for unvaccinated employees from November.

Delta’s unvaccinated employees also undergo weekly COVID-19 tests.

The Atlanta-based airline said about 84 percent of its employees were vaccinated.

Southwest Airlines currently offers a vaccination incentive of 16 hours of additional pay for employees and 13 travel segments for pilots and flight attendants.

The company will also end COVID salary protection for staff in mid-November if they are not vaccinated.

Airlines are grappling with whether or not to pass staff vaccination warrants as the United States hits a grim milestone of 700,000 deaths from COVID-19.

The nation continues to see increases in the Delta variant as the United States reported more than 158,000 new cases on Friday and more than 2,400 new deaths, reports Johns Hopkins University.

According to the CDC, more than 75% of people eligible for the vaccine have received at least one dose.