Singapore Airlines hopes to be world's first fully vaccinated airline

Singapore Airways (SIA) confirmed to CNN Journey that every one in every of their crew members -- along with pilots, gate brokers, flight attendants and anyone whose job requires contact with most people -- have been offered free coronavirus vaccines by the Singaporean authorities.

"We are grateful to the Singapore government for making the aviation sector a priority in the country's vaccination exercise," the airline's CEO, Goh Choon Phong, talked about in an announcement that was emailed out to all the agency on January 18.

"This reflects the sector's importance, and the crucial role we play in both Singapore's economic recovery and the fight against the pandemic."

In line with the airline, 5,200 SIA employees have already signed as a lot as get their photos. Inoculations will begin in a few days.

Phong, alongside Singapore's transport minister Ong Ye Kung, was among the many many city-state's first residents to get vaccinated. He has acquired the first of his two photos, and experiences that "the procedure was painless and fuss-free."

As quickly as vaccinated, crew members could be subject to a lot much less scrutiny and fewer coronavirus-related security measures. For example, flight crew who're at current examined on the seventh day after their return to Singapore could be exempt from this check out going forward.