"We're getting ready to reconnect with the world and letting customers know what they need to do to be ready to take off when we can," Air New Zealand chief executive Greg Foran said today.
"Being vaccinated against Covid-19 is the new reality of international travel – many of the destinations Kiwis want to visit are already closed to unvaccinated visitors.
"The quicker we get vaccinated, the sooner we can fly Kiwis to places like New York, Vancouver and Narita."
Foran said the airline had been hearing a lot of supportive feedback from customers and staff.
"Mandating vaccination on our international flights will give both customers and employees the peace of mind that everyone onboard meets the same health requirements as they do."
"However, we know this is the right thing to do to protect our people, our customers and the wider New Zealand community.
"We'll spend the next few months making sure we get this right, ensuring it works as smoothly as possible for our customers. This also gives anyone wanting to travel from next year plenty of time to get their vaccination."
The requirement would apply to all passengers aged 18 and older arriving or departing New Zealand.
Foran told Television New Zealand that people 18 and younger and those who can't take the vaccine for medical reasons would be exempt.
The airline's customer-facing staff need to be vaccinated, which includes about 75% of all of its staff, he told current affairs programme Q+A.
Foran said the airline was still at a "wait and see" stage for whether domestic passengers will need to be fully vaccinated next year, but it was on the table.
Staff and customers had told the airline that safety was paramount, he said.
"Increasingly we may be in a situation where people need to be vaccinated to get into particular events."
He said it was "exciting" to hear about Australia's plans to open up international travel.
Foran said the current outbreak was a "really difficult situation", which had hit Air New Zealand as well as other businesses - but lockdowns were a matter for the Government.
"At a point next year we're going to be getting these borders open and people are going to be able to travel overseas."
In September Qantas, Australia's largest airline, also said it will require that all passengers on international flights to be vaccinated, becoming one of the first airlines in the world to require proof of inoculation for everyone on board.
