Australian regional carrier Rex Airlines has been forced to further reduce its regional network.
The reductions will be effective from 30 October 2023 and concentrate on seven regional routes, all served by its Saab 340 turboprop aircraft.
The affected routes are:
- Sydney-Albury
- Sydney-Coffs Harbour
- Sydney-Griffith
- Sydney-Narrandera
- Sydney-Orange
- Sydney-Parkes
- Sydney-Port Macquarie
Rex is also due to temporarily suspend services between Sydney and Armidale until 30 March 2024 and withdraw from the Cairns-Bamaga route.
These reductions come as a further blow to the regional carrier, as this news follows the service reductions announced in April 2023 on seven other regional routes. These have been confirmed to continue for another five months, along with the suspension of flights between Adelaide and Mildura.
In a statement, the airline said this was due to “major carriers’ […] continued pillaging of Rex’s pilot group.”
Rex’s General Manager of Network Strategy explained: “Unlike other carriers, we prefer to reduce the scheduled services so that our passengers can be assured of fewer disruptions and more reliable services.”
Rex intends to return to standard flight schedules from 31 March 2024, subject to the situation improving.