Airports Council International (ACI) World has called on governments to recognize airport workers as essential as vaccination programs are rolled out once the needs of the most vulnerable people and healthcare workers are met.
ACI World believes that – once key workers and the most vulnerable people are looked after – airport workers are recognized as essential and prioritized for vaccination. Airport workers are frontline staff who are in daily contact with the traveling public so prioritizing them for vaccination will further demonstrate that the health and safety of passengers and staff remains of paramount importance to the industry.
Additionally, aviation will play an increasingly crucial role in supporting the social and economic recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, through the movement of essential goods – including the distribution of vaccines – across the world as well as facilitating the growing number of people who will be travelling in the coming months.
“As the global roll-out of vaccines commences, it is clear that the most vulnerable in our society and those key healthcare workers who are doing so much to keep us all safe and healthy are prioritized for vaccination,” ACI World director general Luis Felipe de Oliveira said. “As this crucial group is vaccinated, it is then important for other key groups are prioritized to receive the vaccines so they can support a global recovery from the pandemic.
“Airport workers are, for the most part, frontline staff who are in contact with the public every day so ensuring that they are prioritized for vaccination will provide further evidence of the industry’s commitment to the health and safety of passengers and staff.
“Aviation will also be a key engine, driving the recovery from the pandemic through the movement of essential goods, including, of course, the vaccines, and through the economic and social benefits that are delivered to the communities airports serve.
“Around 60% of those employed in aviation work at airports so it is important that governments recognize airport workers as essential and are prioritized for vaccination so they can help deliver the recovery that they world needs.”