Singapore Airlines begins flights with fully vaccinated crew

Singapore Airlines (SIA) began operating flights on Thursday with full sets of crew members vaccinated against COVID-19 as the city-state seeks to rejuvenate its status as an international travel hub.

The carrier said three flights with a fully vaccinated crew - to Jakarta, Bangkok and Phnom Penh - were among the first in the world.

The Singapore government has urged workers at the national airline to sign up for its inoculation programme.

The carrier said more than 90 per cent of its cabin crew and pilots have signed up for the vaccine. Around 85 per cent of those have received at least the first dose, and many have begun getting the second dose, it added. SIA expects all those who have signed up to receive the second dose by the end of March.

Singapore lacks a domestic travel market and international travel is expected to take until 2024 to rebound to 2019 levels, according to industry estimates.

Abu Dhabi's Etihad Airways has become the world's first carrier to vaccinate its entire flight crew against COVID-19.