Hawaiian Airlines employees required to get COVID vaccine by November

HONOLULU (KHON2) — Hawaiian Airlines is the latest carrier to require its U.S-based employees to be vaccinated against the coronavirus.

Employees will need to be vaccinated by November 1, 2021. Those who apply for medical and religious exemptions, if eligible, will have to be tested regularly. Those details are still being finalized.

Below is an excerpt from the memo sent out to employees:

“As of November 1, 2021, Hawaiian Airlines will require all of our U.S.-based employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19. We will develop a program for our international teammates in alignment with vaccine access in their countries. There is no greater demonstration of our values than ensuring the safety of others. Safety is the foundation of air travel, and it is ingrained throughout our operation and service. This is no different. By getting vaccinated, we protect ourselves and those around us. That is mālama.”

Last week, United Airlines announced that they will require employees in the U.S. to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by late October, perhaps sooner, joining a rising number of big corporations that are responding to a surge in virus cases.

United, which has 67,000 employees in the United States, is the first major U.S. airline to announce it will require vaccination for workers. The airline has been requiring vaccination of new hires since mid-June. Unvaccinated workers are required to wear face masks at company offices.