Guests of AirAsia Philippines flight Z2 775 Manila to Cebu and Z2 776 Cebu to Manila were greeted and assisted by fully vaccinated ground staff Thursday (July 15, 2021). The flight was also manned by a fully vaccinated crew – from pilots to cabin crew and ramp agents.
“We hope this becomes an added value of protection to our guests as more and more members of the flight crew get inoculated. As a frontliner, I feel more confident flying our guests to our various destinations, and I have peace of mind whenever I come home to my family because now, I am protected against the severe effects of COVID-19,” said Capt. Nielfren Baldo, pilot-in-command of Z2 775.
“I thank AirAsia for being very proactive in its internal campaign to take the shot. They see to it that we get vaccinated when it's available, regardless of the brand,” he added.
Senior Cabin Crew Tonilee Pangan also shared her excitement in welcoming guests on this flight.
“Safety has always been a shared responsibility. While being fully vaccinated provides added protection, there is no room for complacency. We will never get tired of reminding all our guests and even ourselves to observe the established health and safety protocols to make each flight safe and fun,” she added.
To date, AirAsia Philippines has recorded a majority of 60 percent among its 1,500 Filipino Allstars who have been vaccinated against COVID-19.
“In AirAsia we take to heart our core values. We’ve always put people first, and place the health and safety of our dear guests and Allstar employees as a top priority. We are optimistic that by August, those who directly interact with our guests such as pilots, cabin crew, ground staff and ramp agents will be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. Our target is to have all Filipino Allstars inoculated by the fourth quarter of 2021 as we prepare for the strong rebound of air travel in the Philippines,” said AirAsia Philippines spokesperson Steve Dailisan.
“The big step towards achieving a fully vaccinated airline company is through the help and support of the national government and local government units which have prioritized those under A4 or essential workers,” Dailisan added.
Steve Borril, a British National and leisure traveler to Cebu, said tourists like him “feel extra safe when you know that your pilots and cabin crew are fully vaccinated.”
“They are the people who directly interact with us, greet and serve us during our flight. Thank you AirAsia, for making safety your top priority,” Borril said.
To encourage more people to get inoculated, fully-vaccinated passengers on the flight to and from Cebu who have presented their vaccination cards were given AlwaysREDy Care Kits and other AirAsia merchandise.
Cebu, the gateway to Central Visayas, is one of AirAsia Philippines’ (Z2) destinations which offers more relaxed travel requirements.
Cebu City requires a negative RT-PCR test for leisure travelers, while other surrounding component cities like Mandaue, Lapu-Lapu, and Talisay only require confirmed hotel booking upon entry.
“AirAsia fully supports the initiative of the national government in putting in place a standardized vaccination verification so that very soon more destinations will open to fully vaccinated individuals. This will significantly boost local economies, especially tourism industries in the process of recovery,” Dailisan added.
AirAsia has also partnered with testing laboratories for cheaper RT-PCR tests which yield results from 24 to 48 hours from as low as P 2,500. Visit AirAsia’s flysafe landing page through airasia super app or airasia.com for more information.
