Qantas CEO Didn't Get Pied for Forcing COVID Vaccinations
The Claim
Qantas CEO Alan Joyce was pied in the face for making COVID vaccinations compulsory to travel on his airline.
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Emerging story
A video of Qantas CEO Alan Joyce getting a pie smashed into his face went viral in June 2021. Social media users claimed it was done because of a proposed plan to make COVID vaccinations necessary for travel.
Misbar’s Analysis
Misbar’s investigation concluded that while the video of Alan Joyce being hit with a pie is legitimate, it was not due to the airline’s COVID vaccination policies. The video in question is from May of 2017, years before the COVID pandemic began.
According to NBC News, the individual who threw the pie did so in protest of Joyce’s support for same-sex marriage. The protester, Tony Overheu, ended up pleading guilty to assault, damaging property, giving a false name, and trespass for his actions.
Joyce told the BBC in March 2021 that he did believe airlines should consider enforcing a vaccination policy for staff and passengers. However, as of now, Qantas has not announced any change in policy that would require passengers to be vaccinated. The airline did recently release a plan to offer rewards for COVID-vaccinated passengers, such as airline miles and vouchers.
