Wizz Air to require pilots and cabin crew to be vaccinated by end of year

An airline is to require its flight crews to be vaccinated against Covid-19 by December.

Wizz Air, which serves 11 UK airports, said it is implementing the policy for all pilots and cabin crew as part of its commitment to “protecting the health and safety of its passengers and crews”.

The Hungary-based carrier added that the measure will support “smooth and continued operations of its flights in the long term”.

In “special cases”, staff will be permitted to take “regular” antigen or PCR tests rather than be vaccinated.

Wizz Air Group chief executive Jozsef Varadi said: “At Wizz Air, our number one priority is the health and safety of our passengers and employees.

“We have a responsibility to protect crew and passengers on board by mitigating the risks of Covid-19, and vaccines play a vital role in this.”

British Airways has taken the position that getting vaccinated is a personal choice for its staff.

EasyJet is encouraging its flight crews to have jabs, but the budget carrier is not ordering them to do so.

From November 11, all staff in registered care homes in England must be vaccinated unless they are medically exempt.

Conciliation service Acas says there is no other UK law that requires people to have the vaccine “even if an employer would prefer someone to have it”.