Griffith and district residents who mourned the loss of direct flights to Melbourne will be celebrating the news of their imminent return with Regional Express (Rex) announcing the re-establishment of the service.
Rex has announced today that it will reinstate the Griffith to Melbourne route with effect from 9 October 2009.
Commenting on the resumption of the service, Rex General Manager Network Strategy and Sales Mr Warrick Lodge said, “Rex had initially opened up the Griffith to Melbourne route back in July 2007, however was forced to suspend the service in February 2008 due to the crippling pilot shortage that struck Rex and the entire airline industry. In the seven months between July 2007 and February 2008 Rex lost 90 pilots from its ranks. Rex has now recruited 167 pilots since July 2007 and this puts us in a position to re-launch the much awaited and anticipated Griffith to Melbourne service.”
“We will adopt a very prudent approach in these still very uncertain times. Initially we will have a single return flight on all days except for Saturday. The service will depart Melbourne at 10.30 a.m. and will return from Griffith at 12.00 noon, providing more than 20,000 seats per year between the two cities. With good community support, it is our hope that this service will continue to expand with more frequencies.”
“We acknowledge the critical role of the council in providing a favorable environment for the resumption of the service. However I need to stress that it is Rex that will bear the full commercial risk and that the service is not being subsidised or underwritten from the Council’s budget.” Mr Lodge said.
Griffith City Council’s Acting Mayor Councillor Dom Testoni has applauded the news that Regional Express is re-introducing the Griffith to Melbourne route.
“The community has shown a great desire for the return of the Melbourne to Griffith Air service, one which provides vital economic and social links for this community.” Cr Testoni said.
“The service will allow large numbers of the local community to travel to Melbourne for business, recreational, health and educational purposes to again do so by air."
Chairman of the Griffith Airport Management Committee Cr Peter Fussell said the ability to get to Melbourne in just over an hour is great value to the City of Griffith.
“We are indeed delighted that we get to see the resumption of this service that is so important to the community,” Cr Fussell said.
“In the last financial year we were one of the few ports that had an increase in our services while most other ports were suffering from the continued reduction in their services and now we are the first port in the Rex network to have a resumption of a cancelled service.”
“We have all seen how deep is the loss to the community when the service was cancelled and I urge everyone to give its full support so that we can see this service growing even more,” Cr Fussell said.
Regional Express (Rex) is Australia’s largest independent regional airline operating a fleet of 40 Saab 340 aircraft on some 1,300 weekly flights to 29 destinations throughout New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland. The Rex Group comprises Regional Express, air freight and charter operator Pel-Air Aviation and Dubbo-based regional airline Air Link, as well as the pilot academy Australian Airline Pilot Academy.
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