MANILA, 19 April 2021 – Ready for a strong return of demand in air travel, and true to its core value of putting people first, AirAsia is set to inoculate 1,500+ Filipino Allstars against COVID-19 starting next month.

AirAsia has identified its priority list which includes  frontliner Allstars, such as ground staff, pilots, cabin crew and others who have direct engagements with its guests.

This initiative comes as a step towards rebuilding confidence among passengers highlighting the highest standards on safety and customer service.

AirAsia partnered with government agencies and private entities to secure the initial doses for those included in the priority lists. 

In an internal survey conducted by its People and Culture Department, a vast majority, or 92 percent of the respondents, have expressed their willingness to be vaccinated.

AirAsia also has an ongoing internal campaign among its leaders to encourage its Allstars to take the shot. 

Recently, AirAsia CEO Ricky Isla took the jab as part of those classified under A2 or senior citizens. 

AirAsia Philippines CEO Ricky Isla said, “As an industry leader, we must help bring the accurate information to the public, especially our employees, so that they may be able to make an informed choice and the best decision of protecting themselves against COVID-19.

“It takes everyone to break the COVID-19 chain. I took the shot that is readily available because I believe that it's our little share of putting an end to this pandemic. It is our responsibility to protect ourselves, our loved ones, and most importantly the people we serve.

“AirAsia recognizes that the aviation sector plays a critical role as economic and tourism drivers, and we know that getting the COVID-19 vaccine is the next necessary phase of recovery.” 

Meanwhile, AirAsia also supports the initiative of the Tourism Department to adopt a platform developed by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) that will enable passengers to digitally manage their travel documents and share their test and vaccination results.

For its part, AirAsia has an ongoing regional integration for all Airline Operation Center (AOC) following the IATA Digital Travel Pass.

AirAsia Philippines Spokesperson Steve Dailisan said, “Although nothing is final yet, what’s certain is that AirAsia will fully support all measures that will further enhance safety and rebuild confidence in air travel.

Aside from having a standard set of requirements from the Local Government Units (LGUs), there must always be stringent measures in place that will allow industry stakeholders to validate the authenticity of documents such as COVID-19 test results and vaccination certificates submitted by all our guests. This will enable swift coordination among LGUs, transport regulators, airline companies, molecular laboratories and health authorities. 

It is also important to make sure that the process is hassle-free for passengers so that they are encouraged to travel and help reboot trade and tourism.” 

AirAsia’s efforts by going above and beyond the protection of its guests against COVID-19 have been globally recognized, with a perfect 7-star rating from Airlineratings.com.

Follow AirAsia on Twitter (@AirAsia) and Facebook (facebook.com/airasiatravels.mm) for the latest updates, or contact our customer support team at support.airasia.com.