Vaccination mandate unlikely for domestic travel, says United Airlines CEO

(CNN) – United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby said he did not have a vaccination requirement for travel to the United States, but said it was possible for some international travel.

When asked if passengers should be vaccinated as a condition to fly, Kirby told CNN’s Victor Blackwell on Wednesday that “it’s a government issue, but I suspect it won’t happen nationally.” .

President Joe Biden met on Wednesday with Kirby and other business leaders who are forcing workers to get vaccinated.

Kirby says that thanks to the increase in employer mandates, he believes the United States could see an 80-90% vaccination rate.

Biden “asked us to do whatever we could with other CEOs or anyone we came into contact with to encourage others to do the same,” Kirby said.

3 other US airlines take a different route

The CEOs of Southwest Airlines, American Airlines and Delta Air Lines say they don’t require unvaccinated employees to get vaccinated.

In an internal memo obtained by CNN, Southwest Airlines CEO Gary Kelly said the airline “will continue to strongly encourage” workers to be vaccinated, but the airline’s position has not changed.

American Airlines CEO Doug Parker said in a podcast interview with The New York Times that the airline is granting workers who get vaccinated by the end of the month an additional vacation day in 2022.

But the company is not putting a mandate in place, he said.

In May, Delta became the first major carrier to require all new hires to be vaccinated, but the company did not issue a warrant for all employees.

Top image: A United Airlines Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner seen at the gate of Washington Dulles International Airport on March 12, 2021 (Daniel Slim / AFP / Getty Images)