The Biden Administration wants all airlines to have fully vaccinated staff by no later than December 8, according to an exclusive report by Reuters News Agency.
And several media outlets are reporting that at least three carriers say they will be joining United and Frontier by mandating employee COVID-19 vaccinations.
The December 8 date is significant - it's the day that all federal contractors are mandated to get the vaccines, four sources told Reuters.
White House COVID-19 response coordinator Jeffrey Zients spoke to the chief executives of American Airlines, Delta Air Lines and Southwest Airlines on Thursday to ensure they were working expeditiously to develop and enforce vaccine requirements ahead of that deadline, the sources said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
United's mandate is so strict that workers must get the vaccine under threat of termination or furlough. The deadline passed earlier this week, and United has begun the separation process.
Three carriers - American, JetBlue and Alaska - have already said they would comply with the staff vaccination mandate, citing their roles as federal government contractors, according to the New York Times.
American said that some international crew members might also have to be vaccinated. American is the largest domestic airline, employing nearly 100,000 people in the U.S. The company said employees will be able to seek religious or health exemptions to vaccination.
"While we are still working through the details of the federal requirements, it is clear that team members who choose to remain unvaccinated will not be able to work at American Airlines," Chief Executive Doug Parker and President Robert Isom said in a memo. "We realize this federal mandate may be difficult, but it is what is required of our company, and we will comply."
Alaska, in a statement, said it would extend to Dec. 1 a $200 incentive for employees who upload proof of full vaccination.
Some airline officials had asked the White House to push back the December 8 date because of the upcoming lucrative holiday travel season, but White House officials said the date was a hard deadline.
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