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2 February, 2024

Rex lambasts last-minute flight cancellations as it extends capacity reductions

Sydney, Australia - January 17, 2019: Regional Express SAAB 340B taxiing at Sydney Kingsford Smith Airport runway. Registration VH-KDV

Rex announced the airline will need to prolong the regional network reductions implemented in various stages in 2023 due to continuing dislocated supply chains post COVID that are heavily impacting the provision of aircraft spare parts, especially aircraft engine parts.

The existing regional network reductions will continue from 31 March 2024 through until 27 October 2024.

“As we have stated previously, Rex prefers to reduce services if it does not have the resources to fly them rather than continue to sell tickets for phantom flights and then cancelling them at the last minute,” Rex’s GM of network strategy, Warrick Lodge, explained.

“Rex finds such deliberate last-minute cancellations to be unconscionable as a cancelled flight can bring about untold hardships to the affected parties including having money tied down for months if indeed the refunds materialise.”

“Rex never cancels a flight last-minute for expediency or for cash flow purposes or to hoard airport slots and this explains why Rex’s cancellation rate is 600% to 1,000% lower than its two larger competitors.”

“Rex is committed to the rebuilding of its regional network and intends to return to the standard flight schedules from 27 October 2024, subject to the situation improving,” Lodge added.

Four months ago, Rex announced it was forced to make further reductions to its regional network as the major carriers, particularly the Qantas Group, continued their “relentless pillaging of Rex’s pilot group”.

The reductions, effective from 30 October, all involve the regional routes serviced by Rex’s fleet of Saab 340 turboprop aircraft. The routes affected are:

Sydney-Albury
Sydney-Coffs Harbour
Sydney-Griffith
Sydney-Narrandera
Sydney-Orange
Sydney-Parkes
Sydney-Port Macquarie

Rex originally said it will temporarily suspend services between Sydney and Armidale until at least March 30, 2024 and withdraw from the Cairns-Bamaga route in Far North Queensland.

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regional express rex Warrick Lodge