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Founded | 2002 | ||||||
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Operating bases | Adelaide Airport Brisbane Airport Cairns Airport Melbourne Airport Perth Airport Sydney Airport Townsville Airport | ||||||
Fleet size | 58 | ||||||
Destinations | 60 | ||||||
Parent company | Regional Express Holdings | ||||||
Headquarters | Mascot, New South Wales, Australia | ||||||
Key people |
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Website | www |
Regional Express (also known as REX) is an Australian airline based in Mascot, New South Wales. It operates scheduled regional services. It is Australia's largest regional airline outside the Qantas group of companies and serves New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, Tasmania and Western Australia.
The airline was established in 2002 when the Australiawide Airlines consortium (set up by former Ansett Australia employees) acquired Hazelton Airlines and Kendell Airlines, merged the two companies and started operations in August 2002 as Rex. [1] In 2005, Australiawide Airlines was renamed Regional Express Holdings and partially floated on the Australian Securities Exchange. [2] On 30 November 2005, Rex announced the acquisition of the Dubbo-based Air Link, another regional airline. [3]
In October 2007, Rex expanded into Queensland when it commenced operations between Brisbane and Maryborough. [4] This exacerbated an existing problem within the company of not having enough pilots to crew its flights (due to the expansion of larger airlines, especially Jetstar and Virgin Blue), [5] [6] and Rex suspended operations out of Brisbane [7] (and from Sydney to Cooma during the summer "low season" for this route to the NSW ski fields) [8] in November 2007. To provide a medium-term solution to the pilot shortage, Rex announced that it was establishing a cadet-pilot flight-training programme. [9]
In November 2015, Rex announced the resumption of services to the NSW Snowy Mountains in conjunction with Snowy Mountains Airport Corporation. The flights commenced in March 2016. [10] In December 2015, Rex announced that it would be commencing operations in Western Australia in February the following year after being selected by the Government of Western Australia to be the operator of regulated RPT routes after a tender process. Initially operating between Perth to Albany and Esperance, in July 2018 the Western Australian operations expanded to include Carnarvon and Monkey Mia. It brought Rex's weekly flights to some 1,500 across 60 destinations. [11]
As of 6 April 2020, Rex has significantly scaled back all its regional services due to the COVID-19 pandemic, continuing to only offer Government subsidised services within Queensland and Western Australia and one flight a week between all 54 regional and remote communities within its route network. Adelaide to Port Augusta, Sydney to Newcastle and Sydney to Armidale services were suspended. [12]
In June 2020, Rex announced interest in expanding into the domestic airline market with operations to commence in 2021 between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane. Rex leased six Boeing 737-800s with the first delivered in November 2020. [13] The first jet operations are planned to begin on 1 March 2021 on the Sydney to Melbourne route. [14]
Additionally Rex announced that it had entered into a memorandum of understanding with ATR to explore options for replacing the Saab 340 fleet with ATR 42 and ATR 72 aircraft. [15]
Rex operates the world's largest fleet of Saab 340 aircraft. [16] The delivery of 25 ex-American Eagle Airlines Saab 340B Plus aircraft started in mid-2007 and enabled the expansion of services and the phase-out of the airline's Saab 340As, and some older B models. The 340B Plus has a quieter and more comfortable interior.
In July 2008 the company announced that all of its 340As would be phased out; however one rejoined the fleet in July 2015 after a 7-year stint with Rex's subsidiary airline Pel-Air and remains in service as of January 2020. [17] [18] [19]
The airline also previously operated some Fairchild Metro 23 aircraft seating 19 passengers but were phased out.
As of October 2020, the airline operated an all Saab 340 fleet with three variants of the type. [19]
In June 2020, Rex leased six Boeing 737-800s with the first delivered in November 2020, and the further five to be delivered by March 2021. [13]
Aircraft | In Service | Orders | Passengers | ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
J | Y | ||||
Saab 340A | 1 | — | 0 | 34 | 34 |
Saab 340B | 29 | — | 0 | 33/34/36 | 33/34/36 |
Saab 340B+WT | 27 | — | 0 | 34 | 34 |
Boeing 737-800 | 1 | 5 [20] | 8 | 162/168 | 170/176 |
Total | 58 | 5 |
In November 2007 Regional Express Airlines and Mangalore Airport Pty Limited created a joint venture pilot academy called the Civil Aviation Training Academy, based at Mangalore Airport in Victoria. [24] In April 2008 Regional Express Airlines fully acquired the Civil Aviation Training Academy and it was renamed to Australian Airline Pilot Academy. [25]
On 18 February 2009, Regional Express Airlines announced that the Australian Airline Pilot Academy (AAPA) would be relocated from Mangalore Airport to Wagga Wagga Airport in partnership with the City of Wagga Wagga starting in April 2009. [26] [27]
On 27 May 2010, the AAPA campus at Wagga Wagga Airport was officially opened by Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Anthony Albanese. [28]
Air Vanuatu is an airline with its head office in the Air Vanuatu House, Port Vila, Vanuatu. It is Vanuatu's national flag carrier, operating to Australia, New Zealand and points in the South Pacific. Its main base is Bauerfield International Airport, Port Vila.
Mesaba Aviation, Inc. was an American regional airline based in Eagan, Minnesota From 2010 to 2012 the airline was a wholly owned subsidiary of Pinnacle Airlines Corporation. Its flights operated as Delta Connection for Delta Air Lines and US Airways Express for US Airways. Previously, the airline operated as Northwest Airlink and Northwest Jetlink on behalf of Northwest Airlines which subsequently merged with Delta. Mesaba Airlines effectively ceased operations on January 4, 2012, when all aircraft and personnel were transitioned to the Pinnacle Airlines operating certificate. Mesaba's operating certificate was surrendered on July 31, 2012.
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Ansett Australia was a major Australian airline group, based in Melbourne. The airline flew domestically within Australia and from the 1990s to destinations in Asia. After operating for 65 years, the airline was placed into administration in 2001 following a financial collapse and subsequent organised liquidation in 2002, subject to deed of company arrangement. The last flight touched down on 5 March 2002.
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