Porter becomes first Canadian airline to mandate COVID-19 testing or vaccination for employees
by CM Staff
Effective Sept. 8, Porter workers must be fully vaccinated or present a negative COVID-19 test administered within 72 hours of the start of their shift.
Porter Airlines will become the first Canadian airline to mandate COVID-19 testing or vaccination for its employees.
Beginning on Sept. 8 – which is when it resumes service – Porter team members must be fully vaccinated or present a negative COVID-19 test administered within 72 hours of the start of their shift, Porter officials said in a news release.
“We have a responsibility to ensure a safe workplace. With vaccines readily available for everyone in Canada and the U.S., and their proven effectiveness, requiring vaccination or regular testing is a critical measure to protect the health of our team members,” said Porter CEO Michael Deluce. “We are providing a testing option to ensure that personal circumstances are accommodated. Working and flying with Porter will be a safer experience for everyone.”
The news release also said that Porter supports the federal government’s plan to require full vaccination for all air travellers.
The airline currently offers flights to Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal, Quebec City, Fredericton, Saint John, Moncton, Halifax, St. John’s, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Timmins, Windsor, New York (Newark), Chicago (Midway), Boston and Washington (Dulles), and has seasonal flights to Mt. Tremblant, Que., Muskoka, Ont., Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Stephenville, N.L.
