Burnie City Council, Burnie Airport Corporation and Regional Express Airlines (Rex) have agreed to join forces in a special and historic partnership arrangement which will see Rex introduce more flights and a much improved schedule between Burnie Airport and Melbourne.
The partnership will see Rex provide an additional aircraft and crew resources for the Burnie to Melbourne route to take the frequency of services up to five and potentially more services per day.
Commenting on the historic agreement, Rex Managing Director, Geoff Breust said:
“The joining of forces between Burnie City Council, Burnie Airport Corporation and Rex to work closely together to facilitate the additional services and provide a better schedule will mean increases in passenger numbers through Burnie Airport while maintaining fares at very affordable levels.”
“As part of this arrangement, each party will co-invest to promote the services and retain fares at the $105 entry level. Burnie Airport Corporation will reduce passenger charges for passengers over 70,000 per annum, provide a rental holiday for use of the new airport terminal and work with Rex on providing enhanced services for business travellers and tourists using the airport.”
Burnie City Council will invest in providing assistance in sales and marketing activities and work closely with Rex, Tourism Tasmania, Cradle Coast Authority and Burnie Airport in promoting the services and the region especially for tourists.
Mr Paul Arnold, General Manager of the Burnie City Council and Chairman of Burnie Airport Corporation said “It was an imperative that we secure both additional flights and significant numbers of the $105 entry level fares. The additional flight options are excellent news for commercial and leisure travellers with over 116,000 seats per annum available in the schedule from 9 October 2006. Over the past four years an average of 93,000 passengers travelled Burnie – Melbourne and return and it is reassuring that Rex will make every effort in partnership with the local community to sustain and grow that volume.”
”With the partnership and flight arrangements now secured, it is up to the community to get on board with this exciting phase of growth and convenience for our air service and use it as much as possible.”
Mr Breust said that Rex had sourced an additional aircraft and was training additional flight crews to introduce the extra services. Its plans for increased services now involve:
• From 14 August an increase to four return services Monday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday, providing 1,700 seats per week
• Additional services at the start and finish of the school holidays and the October long weekend
• The introduction of a new schedule with the additional aircraft from 9 October. This new schedule will provide five return services Monday to Friday with a “cross-over” schedule in each weekday morning and four return services Saturday and Sundays (the “cross-over” schedule involves an aircraft departing both Burnie and Melbourne at similar times and crossing in flight – see the schedule below).
Mr Breust said the additional aircraft and the schedule from 9 October will provide 2,244 seats per week and 116,000 seats per annum between Burnie and Melbourne. The improved Rex schedule will offer customers a greater choice of flight times, with up to five different times spread throughout the day. This is in comparison to the previous parallel Rex and QantasLink schedules that provided a more limited choice of only three different times throughout the day.
“Further, having the additional aircraft and crews available to us on this part of our network means that we can increase flights where needed to meet additional demand and grow the Burnie – Melbourne market further.”
“It is the aim of each of the partners to work hard to make the Rex service between Burnie and Melbourne the best service ever. We all believe that we can grow the total market on this route beyond that experienced to date.”
“We can do that by providing frequency, a convenient schedule and very affordable fares.”
“Rex will maintain our entry level fares at current rates over the coming twelve months provided there is no exceptional cost impact such as a sharp rise in fuel prices or infrastructure charges,” Mr Breust said.
Rex is also working on additional ways of improving services including the possibility of a special corporate Rex Lounge facility at Melbourne Airport and extending the current baggage on-carriage arrangements with Virgin Blue to other carriers including Qantas at Melbourne Airport.
Melbourne - Burnie
ZL3553 0700 0810 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
ZL3557 0845 0955 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
ZL3573 1510 1620 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
ZL3577 1700 1810 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sun
ZL3579 1905 2015 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Burnie - Melbourne
ZL3554 0630 0740 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
ZL3556 0830 0940 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat
ZL3558 1015 1125 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
ZL3574 1640 1750 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
ZL3578 1830 1940 Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sun
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For Further Information:
Rex : Contact Sara-Jane Uden, Media Department 0402 438 361
BAC : Contact Paul Arnold, Chairman 0418 144 255 or 64 305703
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