Luton-based Wizz Air hails Covid vaccine drive a success

Wizz Air, which has its headquarters at Luton Airport, has announced that 90% of its crew members are now vaccinated, following its December 1 deadline requiring flight and cabin crew to be vaccinated or get regularly tested at their own cost, unless they recently recovered from COVID-19.

The airline says the requirement underpins its commitment to protect the health and safety of its passengers and employees.

Wizz Air announced in September that it would introduce COVID-19 vaccines for all its flight and cabin crews.

The policy does not mandate vaccination, however crew members who are not vaccinated will have to cover the cost of their own testing from December 1. Unvaccinated crew members, who can provide medical proof of exemption, will be able take antigen/PCR tests on a regular basis.

The decision to require crew to have the COVID-19 vaccine reflects research which demonstrates the vaccine’s effectiveness as the best available form of protection against COVID-19. Wizz Air has also organised regular webinars and one-to-one consultations with virologists to educate its staff about the vaccines and answer any questions the employees might have.

Johan Eidhagen, Chief People Officer of Wizz Air Group, said: “We are pleased to announce that 90% of our flight and cabin crew members are already vaccinated. At the start of the pandemic, we led the industry with our stringent health and safety measures, as we fully understand the responsibility to protect crew and passengers onboard by mitigating the risks of COVID-19, and we recognise the crucial role that the vaccine plays in this.”