Fully Vaccinated Flights Could Become A Reality As First Completely Inoculated Flight Takes Off

As more people get vaccinated for COVID-19 across the globe, questions continue to swirl over the need for vaccinations when traveling.

Already, much of the cruise industry is requiring passengers to be fully vaccinated to board its ships, and now an airline has just operated its first fully vaccinated flight.

Qatar Airways took off on Tuesday with a plane full of passengers and crew members that were fully vaccinated with the COVID vaccine.

The flight traveled out of Hamad International Airport in Doha, Qatar. The Airbus A350-1000 aircraft went on a 3.5-hour round trip flight passing over the Persian Gulf and Oman, the New York Post reports.

“Today’s special flight demonstrates the next stage in the recovery of international travel is not far away,” Qatar Airways Group CEO Akbar Al Baker said in a statement.

“We are proud to continue leading the industry by operating the first flight with a fully vaccinated crew and passengers and providing a beacon of hope for the future of international aviation. With aviation being a critical economic driver both globally and here in the State of Qatar, we are thankful for the support we have received from our government and local health authorities to vaccinate our staff, with over 1,000 vaccinations being administered per day," he added.

Additional safety measures were also taken by the airline, including requiring face masks, social distanced seating, and enhanced sanitation measures. Passengers were also able to utilize a touchless entertainment system that connected their in-seat TVs to their phones.

Passengers were honored with a commemorative certificate for taking part in the flight.

Qatar Airways is also implementing the IATA Travel Pass digital passport mobile app in a test trial in the Middle East for COVID-19 test results to ensure eligibility for plane boarding.

The news from Qatar Airways comes as the airline industry looks toward a bounce-back in travel demand as the COVID vaccine rolls out across the globe. The travel sector was decimated by the pandemic as people stayed home to prevent the spread of the virus.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has said that it is “low risk” for people that have been fully vaccinated to travel during the pandemic.