American Airlines and United on Thursday will begin providing workers with Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine at Chicago’s O’Hare airport, according to letters sent to Chicago-based employees. American Airlines and United Airlines on Thursday will begin providing workers with Johnson & Johnson’s single-shot COVID-19 vaccine at Chicago’s O’Hare airport, according to letters sent to Chicago-based employees. In Chicago, United is working in partnership with the city and local health department on vaccine distribution, which will be available on a reservation-only basis for employees who live or work in Chicago and are either flight crew or over 65. “Unfortunately, not having enough vaccines in circulation continues to be the biggest challenge,” United said in its letter. It also has airport point of dispensing (POD) sites for employees in Denver and Honolulu.<br/>
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Thailand’s finance ministry, the largest shareholder of Thai Airways International, signaled its support for a restructuring plan that includes raising fresh capital, a temporary freeze on repayment of borrowings and slashing its workforce by half to return the debt-ridden airline to profit. The key elements of the debt rehabilitation plan are “quite acceptable,” Pantip Sripimol, director general of the State Enterprise Policy Office under the finance ministry, said Wednesday. The ministry will study the restructuring proposals in detail before deciding on its vote, she said. The ministry will support the airline’s fund-raising plan as it’s on a recovery path, Deputy Prime Minister Supattanapong Punmeechaow said. Thai Airways, with liabilities of about $11b last year, expects its creditors to vote on the court-mandated debt recast plan on May 12, Acting President Chansin Treenuchagron said Tuesday. The airline, which posted a record loss of $4.7b last year, aims to return to profit in 2024, he said.<br/>
The IATA said it will be trialling “in the next couple of weeks” its app designed to store evidence of a negative Covid-19 test – as well as proof of vaccination in the future – with Singapore Airlines on a route between Singapore and London. Nick Careen, the industry trade body’s senior vice president for airport passenger cargo and security, told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme that “quite a few” governments have shown an interest in the app. Asked whether UK passengers would be able to use paper records as proof of vaccination or would need to upload digital evidence, Careen said: “The chances are it will be a combination of the two."<br/>