Air New Zealand ditches vaccine requirements

Air New Zealand is dropping its vaccine requirements for both domestic and international passengers. From Thursday, domestic passengers will no longer have to show either proof of vaccination or a negative Covid-19 test, and international flights will be open to both the vaccinated and unvaccinated from May 1. The change in policy follows New Zealand’s move to the orange light setting of the traffic light system at 11:59pm on Wednesday. The airline will also bring back its food and beverage service on domestic flights from April 15. Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran said easing restrictions made sense given the country’s highly vaccinated population and drop in transmission of the virus. “As Omicron took hold in the community, we put in place several temporary measures aimed at keeping our employees, customers and New Zealand safe. After a careful risk assessment, we feel now is the right time to step back some of those measures. New Zealand is moving back towards a sense of normality. We’re seeing customers return to our domestic network, and we’re welcoming back Australians. We’re aware that Covid is not behind us yet, and we have taken a considered approach and will continue to revise safety measures depending on what we’re seeing here in New Zealand and around the world.” Face masks are still mandatory on all domestic flights and at airports – no matter which airline you’re flying with. Air New Zealand also requires them to be worn on international services.<br/>