This comes as India sets daily records in new Covid-19 cases and fatalities.

“Nufam is urging the government to immediately vaccinate airline crew members, pilots and airport workers before even dispatching the flights to India,” it said in a statement today.

“Currently, thousands of airline workers have yet to be vaccinated, especially cabin crew and pilots.

“So far, two airlines have initiated their vaccination processes by informing their crew members to sign up for the Sinovac vaccine, but we don’t know how soon the inoculations can be done. We are monitoring the reports we receive daily.”

The union said staff who have not been vaccinated should not be forced to join the repatriation mission.

“It could be days or weeks before flight crews are given the first shot of the vaccine. So, while waiting, many are worried they could be called up for these rescue flights.

“Many crew members are afraid to say ‘no’ when they are called up as disciplinary action can be taken against them.

“If they have not been fully vaccinated, it is only right that they should not operate on these high-risk flights to India.”

Nufam also urged Khairy Jamaluddin, the minister coordinating the vaccine rollout, to give the assurance that no airline staff would fly to India before they are vaccinated.

India set a global record yesterday after it registered its biggest single-day rise in Covid-19 cases of over 412,000 in the last 24 hours.

The Indian health ministry reported 412,262 new cases, taking the country’s total number of infections to over 21 million. With a record 3,980 new fatalities, the death toll has reached 230,168.