Delta Announces COVID-19 Vaccine Policy For Employees

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Delta Air Lines announced last week that it has established a company-wide policy on the COVID-19 vaccine for employees. Delta is the first airline to go public with its position on the controversial issue.

Delta CEO Ed Bastion said during a CNN interview last Friday, “Any person joining Delta in the future, we will mandate to get vaccinated before they can sign up with the company.”

While the airline won’t require its 75,000 current employees to comply, about 60 percent have already been vaccinated, and Bastian expects that number to swell to 80 percent.

“I’m not going to mandate and force people if they have some specific reason why they don’t want to get vaccinated,” he said, “but I am going to strongly encourage them and make sure they understand the risk to not getting vaccinated.”

Still, Delta expects that around 17,000 employees (20 percent) will choose not to receive the vaccine. They won’t be terminated, Bastian said, but there could be some unavoidable restrictions to their duties—and opportunities for advancement. For example, unvaccinated employees could be banned from flying on international routes, not because of Delta’s mandate, but because many foreign destination countries require proof of vaccination for visitors, and the airline has no choice but to comply with their rules.

A recent Arizona State University study found that about two-thirds of U.S. companies are likely to ultimately require that their employees must get vaccinated.

Mark Phelps
Mark Phelps is a senior editor at AVweb. He is an instrument rated private pilot and former owner of a Grumman American AA1B and a V-tail Bonanza.

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9 COMMENTS

  1. Businesses mandating our health status, that can’t go wrong. Now that we have all been vaccinated, voluntarily or not can we take off the stupid masks, they don’t work anyway. No? Didn’t think so.

    • Because most people HAVE NOT been vaccinated. Here in Ohio, you don’t need a mask if vaxxed. But only 37% have been vaxxed, and it’s pretty hard to find someone with a mask unless mandated by a store’s policy. Ya see, people lie.

  2. So now Delta can tell people what to do with their body. Where does this totalitarian mind set end ?
    The right to choose what I do with my body is now decided by Delta. Really !!! For a controversial vaccine which nobody knows the long term effects of.
    For years we have heard the argument that women can abort their babies because it is their right to choose what they do with their body. But not with a vaccine. Delta CEO Ed Bastion decides what employees do with their body. Achtung! All Heil Ed Bastion. Let the medical experiments begin.

    • Yes, as they have been for decades. It’s a private company and they can do whatever they want, like tell you that you can’t drink a fifth on the job, or smoke a joint. And if you don’t like it then don’t accept the job offer, it’s all very simple.

    • Waaah. I know a lot of companies that don’t want to hire smokers. You are free to quit if you are so ignorant as to believe that not being vaccinated makes you superior.

  3. “For example, unvaccinated employees could be banned from flying on international routes, not because of Delta’s mandate, but because many foreign destination countries require proof of vaccination for visitors, and the airline has no choice but to comply with their rules.”

    The example cited is poor, as I am unaware of any country that doesn’t exempt crew members from being vaxxed. Unvaxxed crew may face quarantining or testing issues, but not while on duty.

  4. That’s not what was said in the article! Your reading comprehension could use some work!

  5. It said “I am not going to mandate & force people to get vaccinated – – ”
    So, what’s the beef here???
    Was the article read correctly?? Hummm

  6. I read it as new employees must get vaccinated, but it’s optional for current employees.

    Why require vaccination?
    1. You’re much less likely to get sick and cost the company sick leave.
    2. If you have a customer facing job, you’re not going to infect the company’s customers.
    No “nanny state” arguments needed – it’s pure business sense.

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