Covid vaccines to be mandatory for Canberra Airport staff

In a bid to reboot aviation, the airport will make coronavirus vaccines mandatory for all staff, with exceptions only for workers with health conditions or religious views.

Mr Byron told ABC if state premiers knew travelling through Canberra was safe they could make the case for reopening aviation in about six weeks when national vaccine rates were up.

He said about 80 per cent of airport staff had opted for the vaccine without making it mandatory, knowing it was their best path out of lockdowns and job insecurity.

"The staff are absolutely on board and we're seeing it's not just for our own staff," My Byron said.

The managing director said there was broad support for the vaccine among the hundreds of businesses that work at the airport terminal, with many losing incomes while travel restrictions were ongoing.

"They are sick of having no job and no income and it's not very difficult to understand. I think you see businesses around Canberra, whether they're cafes or whether they're gyms, realising that we've got to get on board and help the government get the Canberra community up to 80 per cent vaccinated," Mr Byron said.

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Currently about 150 essential workers are employed on construction at the airport, including work on the laboratories of the Therapeutic Goods Administration which will approve updates to the vaccines next year.

Mr Byron said the airport has mandated that all those workers should be vaccinated with at least one shot or be booked in to receive it.

He said uptake had been excellent as construction employees were eager to continue working.

The airport has remained open throughout the lockdown, however, the terminal has shut down on some days due to there being no flights.

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