Regional Express (Rex) and its subsidiary Air Link have been awarded 15 NSW intrastate Air Transport Licenses which confer on the Rex Group the sole right to operate on these routes. The licenses commence on 30th March 2008 and expire 29th March 2013.
Rex’s General Manager of Network Strategy and Sales, Mr Warrick Lodge said “The fact that all licensed routes on the Rex Group network in NSW have been awarded again to Rex is a testament to the outstanding work Rex and Air Link have done in the past 5 years as the license holders. Rex has grown annual passenger numbers on these routes from 160,000 to 385,000 through increasing flight frequency, upgrades in many cases to the larger Saab 340 aircraft, keeping fares affordable and partnering local councils. In fact, the average fully inclusive ticket price on these sole operated routes has fallen by more than 20% over the last five years and when excluding the fuel levy the average ticket price has fallen by more than 35%”
“While Rex is happy with the awarding of the licenses, we have always adopted the same commercial approach on all of our routes – be they licensed or unlicensed – as we believe in working in partnership with the other stakeholders, local councils and regional travelers. We give a commitment that for as long as there is a partnership approach by all the stakeholders, Rex will work for the long term benefit of the communities as it has amply demonstrated in the past.”
Mr Lodge added, “It is noteworthy that there was not a single Rex route that had been contested in this latest round of licensing. This is a sure sign that regional aviation for small regional cities is in real jeopardy in today’s environment and that few operators besides Rex can make a success of air services even under the protection of a license.”
Rex is Australia’s largest independent regional airline operating a fleet of 37 Saab 340 aircraft on more than 1,300 weekly lights to 24 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.
List of licensed NSW routes awarded to the Rex Group:
Bathurst to Sydney
Bourke to Sydney
Broken Hill to Sydney
Cobar to Sydney
Cooma (Snowy Mountains) to Sydney
Coonamble to Sydney
Grafton to Sydney
Lightning Ridge to Sydney
Merimbula to Sydney
Moruya to Sydney
Mudgee to Sydney
Narrandera to Sydney
Parkes to Sydney
Taree to Sydney
Walgett to Sydney
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