Air New Zealand, the country's flag carrier airline, says it will require passengers on its international flights to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19, in what is one of the world's strictest policies for travellers.

"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," Air New Zealand's Chief Executive Officer Greg Foran said in a statement.

New Zealand plans to reopen its international borders, which have been closed since March 2020 to anyone who is not a New Zealand citizen, early next year.

Air New Zealand would implement the vaccination policy from February 1, the airline said.

"As with anything, there will be some that disagree," Mr Foran said.

"However, we know this is the right thing to do to protect our people, our customers and the wider New Zealand community."

In September, Qantas also said it would require 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.

Virgin has mandated vaccinations for staff, but says it is firmly against imposing different restrictions for domestic travellers on the basis of vaccination status. 

Reuters