Etihad Airways said all of its thousands of pilots and cabin crew have now been vaccinated against Covid-19.
It said it was the first airline to hit the target.
Etihad was part of the UAE's Emergency Use Programme, in which hundreds of frontline staff were vaccinated as a priority by the health authorities.
The airline later secured approval for its in-house medical centre to become an accredited vaccination clinic.
We proactively made the vaccine available to all our employees to not only help combat the effects of Covid-19 but to make travellers feel confident
“We proactively made the vaccine available to all our employees to not only help combat the effects of Covid-19 but to make travellers feel confident and reassured the next time they fly with us,” said its group chief executive, Tony Douglas.
“We are the only airline in the world to make Covid-19 testing mandatory for every passenger and crew member before every flight and now, we’re the first airline in the world with 100 per cent-vaccinated crew on board.”
Staff can now also receive the shot at mobile clinics at their workplace, and over 75 per cent of Etihad’s wider workforce have received at least one dose.
Dr Nadia Bastaki, vice president of medical services and corporate social responsibility, said the aim was to provide easy access to inoculation for its staff.
“Since December 2020, we have been offering in-house vaccination appointments to our employees and their loved ones to ensure we are focused on our employees’ wellbeing,” she said.
Country-wide vaccination rates
Governments globally are prioritising frontline staff in their vaccination programmes.
Dubai’s Emirates Airline rolled out their drive on January 18, with priority being placed on its frontline aviation workforce, including cabin crew, flight deck and other operationally focused roles.
Singapore also started its campaign to inoculate aviation and maritime workers in January.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore said it was giving priority to staff who may come into contact with travellers from overseas.
United Airlines’ chief executive Scott Kirby said he wanted to make Covid-19 vaccines mandatory for employees, but injections in the US are running behind schedule.
On Tuesday, another major Abu Dhabi employer, Adnoc Distribution, said all of its 7,500 petrol service station staff had taken at least one vaccine dose.
“Our employees have shown a proactive commitment and unwavering desire in fighting the spread of the disease,” said Ahmed Al Shamsi, acting chief executive.
“I am extremely proud of their dedication to always upholding the highest standards of HSE, and they are shining examples of how important it is for us all to work together against Covid-19.”
The UAE has one of the highest rates of inoculation, with a target of vaccinating half the population by the end of March.
More than 4.5 million doses of Covid-19 vaccine have been administered.
Dr Amer Sharif, head of Dubai’s Covid-19 command centre, said in an interview with Bloomberg that the goal was to hit 100 per cent in the final three months of this year.
At present, vaccination centres in the UAE are prioritising older people, those with chronic diseases and Emiratis until mid-March.
Residents who do not fall into any of these categories can still receive the vaccine if they make an appointment.
People who have already received the first dose should still receive their second shot as scheduled, within 28 days.
West Asia Premiership
Dubai Hurricanes 58-10 Dubai Knights Eagles
Dubai Tigers 5-39 Bahrain
Jebel Ali Dragons 16-56 Abu Dhabi Harlequins
Company Profile:
Name: The Protein Bakeshop
Date of start: 2013
Founders: Rashi Chowdhary and Saad Umerani
Based: Dubai
Size, number of employees: 12
Funding/investors: $400,000 (2018)
Evacuations to France hit by controversy
- Over 500 Gazans have been evacuated to France since November 2023
- Evacuations were paused after a student already in France posted anti-Semitic content and was subsequently expelled to Qatar
- The Foreign Ministry launched a review to determine how authorities failed to detect the posts before her entry
- Artists and researchers fall under a programme called Pause that began in 2017
- It has benefited more than 700 people from 44 countries, including Syria, Turkey, Iran, and Sudan
- Since the start of the Gaza war, it has also included 45 Gazan beneficiaries
- Unlike students, they are allowed to bring their families to France
Oscars in the UAE
The 90th Academy Awards will be aired in the UAE from 3.30am on Monday, March 5 on OSN, with the ceremony starting at 5am
Company%20Profile
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UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Film: In Syria
Dir: Philippe Van Leeuw
Starring: Hiam Abbass, Diamand Bo Abboud, Mohsen Abbas and Juliette Navis
Verdict: Four stars
Off-roading in the UAE: How to checklist
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SPEC%20SHEET
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Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
US PGA Championship in numbers
1 Joost Luiten produced a memorable hole in one at the par-three fourth in the first round.
2 To date, the only two players to win the PGA Championship after winning the week before are Rory McIlroy (2014 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational) and Tiger Woods (2007, WGC-Bridgestone Invitational). Hideki Matsuyama or Chris Stroud could have made it three.
3 Number of seasons without a major for McIlroy, who finished in a tie for 22nd.
4 Louis Oosthuizen has now finished second in all four of the game's major championships.
5 In the fifth hole of the final round, McIlroy holed his longest putt of the week - from 16ft 8in - for birdie.
6 For the sixth successive year, play was disrupted by bad weather with a delay of one hour and 43 minutes on Friday.
7 Seven under par (64) was the best round of the week, shot by Matsuyama and Francesco Molinari on Day 2.
8 Number of shots taken by Jason Day on the 18th hole in round three after a risky recovery shot backfired.
9 Jon Rahm's age in months the last time Phil Mickelson missed the cut in the US PGA, in 1995.
10 Jimmy Walker's opening round as defending champion was a 10-over-par 81.
11 The par-four 11th coincidentally ranked as the 11th hardest hole overall with a scoring average of 4.192.
12 Paul Casey was a combined 12 under par for his first round in this year's majors.
13 The average world ranking of the last 13 PGA winners before this week was 25. Kevin Kisner began the week ranked 25th.
14 The world ranking of Justin Thomas before his victory.
15 Of the top 15 players after 54 holes, only Oosthuizen had previously won a major.
16 The par-four 16th marks the start of Quail Hollow's so-called "Green Mile" of finishing holes, some of the toughest in golf.
17 The first round scoring average of the last 17 major champions was 67.2. Kisner and Thorbjorn Olesen shot 67 on day one at Quail Hollow.
18 For the first time in 18 majors, the eventual winner was over par after round one (Thomas shot 73).
The specs
Engine: 2.0-litre 4cyl turbo
Power: 261hp at 5,500rpm
Torque: 405Nm at 1,750-3,500rpm
Transmission: 9-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 6.9L/100km
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh117,059
