Mr John Sharp, Deputy Chairman of Regional Express, said today that the Rex Board had received a formal submission from Parkes Shire Council. The submission proposes a partnership agreement which reverses Council’s earlier intention to raise the airport tax and now guarantees a freeze on the current Parkes Airport passenger charges for a period of five years subject to a commitment by Rex of airport revenue increases of at least equivalent to CPI.
“The Rex Board had earlier announced that it will not revisit this issue until its next meeting in mid November. However, given the representations by the local Federal member for Parkes John Cobb and the State Minister for Regional Development Tony Kelly as well as the personal intervention of the Federal National Party Leader and Minister for Transport and Regional Services, Mark Vaile, I convened the Board for an urgent meeting yesterday to deliberate the matter.
“I am pleased to announce today that the Board has accepted the new proposal put by Parkes Shire Council. This means that the current Rex services on the Parkes – Sydney route will be maintained. Rex is now fully committed to the Parkes service and it is our aim to continue to grow passenger numbers and further improve the service over time by maintaining fares at very affordable levels and by providing an effective schedule. The average ticket price today is 29% less than it was four years ago and when excluding the fuel levy the average ticket price is more than 40% lower.
“We would like to put on record our thanks to Minister Vaile who has been most concerned about the impact of the loss of air service on the community of Parkes. Without his tireless and personal interventions, we would not have the good outcome we have today,” Mr Sharp said.
Rex is Australia’s largest independent regional airline operating a fleet of 34 Saab 340 aircraft on 1,300 flights weekly to 25 destinations from Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. The Rex Group comprises Regional Express, air freight and charter operator Pel - Air Aviation and Dubbo based regional airline, Air Link. Reservations can be made on the web via www.rex.com.au and by telephoning 13 17 13.
 | | (L-R) Deputy Mayor Parkes Shire Council Cr Ken Keith, Federal National Party Leader and Minister for Transport and Regional Services the Hon Mark Vaile MP, Rex Deputy Chairman the Hon John Sharp |
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