More than 99% of all Rex scheduled domestic flights took to the skies in May 2024, with the airline canceling just 0.6% of its Boeing 737 services during the latest reporting period.

Figures showed that 85.5% of Rex domestic flights departed on time, well ahead of Virgin Australia精东影业 79.2% and Qantas鈥� 81.1% rate.

Rex also led with an 82.7% on-time arrivals rate, placing the carrier ahead of Qantas, Jetstar, and Virgin Australia, which all had a rate in the 77-79% range.

The results came just days ahead of Rex精东影业 first domestic flights to Perth Airport (PER) from Melbourne Airport (MEL) and Adelaide Airport (ADL).

鈥淥ur staff and crew always go above and beyond for our passengers and that dedication and

diligence is reflected in these latest figures, when you compare us against the major carriers,鈥� Rex Chairman John Sharp AM said in a statement.

鈥淓very time Rex enters a new domestic market there has been downward pressure on airfares, so our message to Australians is, if you want competition, all you have to do is support it,鈥� Sharp added.

In April 2024, BITRE named Virgin Australia as the most reliable domestic carrier in the country.

Greek startup airline plans to link Athens to Aegean islands with helicopters聽

• Airlines

byMiquel Ros

2024-07-03

The route will be flown by the airline精东影业 Embraer E-190 jets, operated by its group member, National Jet Express (NJE).

National Jet Express is an Australian charter airline and aviation services provider with headquarters in Perth. 

鈥淭his is terrific news for Perth and Adelaide travelers because more operators means more

competition but in the case of Rex, it also means better service and reliability,鈥� NJE Director Anthony Gibara said in a statement.

Gibara also added that Virgin Australia and Qantas canceled almost 85 Perth to Adelaide flights in the first four months of 2024. 

鈥淛ust 56 % of its [Virgin精东影业] flights arrived on time during that period, while its on time departures

were only slightly better at 59 %. Travelers deserve better and they will get it with Rex,鈥� Gibara said, adding that the airline intends to increase the number of services once it has established the route. 

鈥淩ex has been a wonderful supporter of the Adelaide market, including regional links, for

many years, and today精东影业 announcement builds on the introduction of services from Adelaide

to Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane over the past three years,” said Adelaide Airport Managing Director, Brenton Cox.

Rex Airlines announces new Melbourne to Perth service launching June 2024

• Airlines

byJean Carmela Lim

2024-05-24

The east to west domestic service will be available five times per week, using the airline精东影业 B737 aircraft. 

The new Melbourne to Perth route will become Rex精东影业 11th domestic service, with its Boeing 737 fleet flying to Australian state capital cities including Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Adelaide, Canberra, Hobart and the Gold Coast.

According to Rex, the new service will add almost 90,000 seats to one of Australia精东影业 busiest routes.

Melbourne Airport Chief Executive Officer Lorie Argus said that the arrival of Rex精东影业 new route will increase competition and offer better options for customers.

“Having a third airline group flying between Perth and Melbourne will increase competition and allow more people to reconnect with family and friends or explore Victoria’s fantastic tourism offering,” Argus said in a statement.

鈥淲hen more airlines compete on a particular route, consumers benefit and our record in the

domestic markets speaks for itself 鈥� Rex delivers terrific value for money,鈥� Rex General Manager Network Strategy Warwick Lodge said.

鈥淩ex consistently outshines its domestic rivals in on-time performance and cancellation rates,

and when travelers are booking a route of this distance and duration, reliability is paramount,鈥� Lodge added.

According to Lodge, Rex精东影业 competitors canceled a total of 57 flights on the Melbourne-Perth route in the first four months of 2024, while their combined on-time arrival and departure performance was only around 72%.

Rex signs interline agreement with Etihad, 72 global destinations opened up聽聽聽聽

• Airlines

byLuke Peters

2024-03-13

Being a reciprocal agreement, passengers arriving in Sydney or Melbourne on one of Etihad’s regular nonstop services from Abu Dhabi will be able to transfer to the Rex domestic network of 56 destinations. Passengers taking advantage of the new arrangement will no longer need to collect their baggage in Sydney or Melbourne or recheck in for their onward connecting flight operated by the other carrier.聽

鈥淧artnering with a world-class airline like Etihad brings a new era of choice and connection for Rex passengers,鈥� said Rex精东影业 General Manager of Network Strategy, Warrick Lodge. 鈥淧assengers will be able to fly to either Sydney or Melbourne on Rex and thereafter connect on Etihad to a further 72 destinations across the globe.鈥澛犅�

鈥淓tihad’s extensive international network includes Europe, Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and the USA,鈥� said Arik De, Etihad精东影业 Chief Revenue and Commercial Officer.  鈥淭he entire journey, including Etihad and Rex connecting flights, can be booked under one booking and passengers can enjoy the convenience of through-check baggage (where permitted).鈥�  

鈥淭his exciting new partnership significantly expands connectivity options for Etihad guests, providing them with effortless access from our gateways in Sydney and Melbourne to pivotal destinations within the Rex network, including Adelaide, Hobart, Canberra, Brisbane, and the Gold Coast. Equally, we are thrilled to extend a warm welcome to Rex customers, enabling them to seamlessly integrate into our expanding global network,” he added.聽

Rex flights have already been loaded onto Etihad’s reservations system and went on sale on March 12, 2024. Etihad operates seven flights per week between Abu Dhabi to both Melbourne and Sydney, with double daily services three times per week to each gateway, plus an additional flight. The airline uses a combination of Boeing 777-300ERs and 787-9 Dreamliners on the routes.聽 聽

Rex is Australia精东影业 largest independent regional and domestic airline. It also holds the accolade as the country精东影业 most reliable airline, with the highest rate of on-time departures, and lowest cancellation rate of domestic carriers according to the latest Australian government data. The agreement with Etihad marks the second interline agreement for Rex as it already has one with Delta Air Lines.  

The carrier currently operates a fleet of nine Boeing 737-800s alongside 57 Saab 340 turboprops to 56 destinations across the country. The airline精东影业 parent company, Rex Group, is a 50% shareholder of National Jet Express, a regional carrier that specializes in Fly-In Fly-Out (FIFO), charter, and air freight operations.聽

South Africa精东影业 FlySafair to consolidate and reduce fuel costs聽in 2024

• Airlines
• Aviation

byLuke Peters

2024-03-12

The video shows two Rex Airlines ground crew employees using a small electric grill to cook burgers and sausages in the shade beneath a building just off the runway. Their barbecue setup consists of an office chair and a fold-out table, as well as tomato sauce, buns, and butter. 

“‘Why’s the flight delayed?'” reads the text on the video, which was uploaded by TikTok user Kirra Colquhoun. 

However, a Rex Airlines spokesperson emphasized that the staff were on a scheduled meal break and that no flights were disrupted due to the incident. 

鈥淭he contracted Ground Handling Company who employed the staff involved has been advised of the need to find a suitable location for such events, lest they be misconstrued,鈥� the Rex spokesperson said in a statement given to Australian news site  

Despite the online stir, Rex Airlines continues to excel in reliability, topping the on-time departures chart in Australia with 77.8% of its aircraft leaving on a scheduled time in September 2023.聽

A number of TikTok users have suggested that the grill session was perhaps just an Australian thing.  

鈥淭his is the most Aussie thing ever, and I鈥檓 for it,鈥� TikTok user Maghan Caroline commented. 

鈥淢y husband worked in Australia for a summer, and they had BBQ and beer on the roof of their office every Friday lunchtime,鈥� another user added. 

Emirates gives 20,000 Apple gadgets to cabin crew to improve inflight services

• Airlines

byJean Carmela Lim

2023-10-13

According to the ACCC, over the past two decades 90% of domestic air passengers in Australia traveled on Qantas Group (Qantas and Jetstar) or Virgin Australia aircraft. The number grew to 94% in April 2023. 

鈥淒omestic aviation is one of the most concentrated industries in Australia, barring only natural monopolies such as electricity grids and rail networks,鈥� said Gina Cass-Gottlieb, the chair of the ACCC. 鈥淲ithout a real threat of losing passengers to other airlines, the Qantas and Virgin Australia airline groups have had less incentive to offer attractive airfares, develop more direct routes, operate more reliable services, and invest in systems to provide high levels of customer service.鈥� 

Cass-Gottlieb added that while Rex Airlines鈥� expansion on major city routes and the launch of low-cost carrier Bonza have been positive developments, 鈥渢heir share of the market is small and there are barriers to growth鈥�.  

Australia鈥榮 newest airline Bonza takes off for first commercial flight聽

• Airlines

byRytis Beresnevicius

2023-01-31

Calling for reforms in the Australian market 

The ACCC called for legislative changes that would improve the passenger experience while traveling within Australia.聽

Firstly, the commission wants to change the way peak-time slots are allocated at Sydney Airport (SYD), which it said would be 鈥渢he best way to promote competition in the domestic airline industry鈥�. 

鈥淎ccess to peak time slots at Sydney Airport is critical for new and expanding airlines seeking to build an intercity network. Without legislative reform to the airport精东影业 demand management scheme there will not be any material improvement in domestic airline competition in Australia in the foreseeable future,鈥� Cass-Gottlieb continued. 

The ACCC noted that a government-led review identified several possible reforms that would change the way slots are allocated at SYD, the country精东影业 busiest airport. 

The worsening customer service standard was another issue identified by the ACCC, with Cass-Gottlieb highlighting that Australia needs a 鈥渢ruly independent and external dispute resolution ombuds scheme, which has the power to make binding decisions鈥�.  

Additionally, the ACCC said that it 鈥渟trongly advocated鈥� for more protection for passengers in case of a flight cancelation or delay, making it 鈥渋llegal for businesses to fail to provide a remedy for consumer guarantees failures鈥�. 

Qantas will operate its Airbus A380s into the 2030s

• Aircraft
• Airlines

byRytis Beresnevicius

2023-06-05

Dovetail Aviation was launched in 2021 as a joint venture between Sydney Aviation Holdings, which operates Sydney Seaplanes, and Spanish aerospace and engineering firm Dante Aeronautical, with the goal of advancing the cause of electric aviation in Australia, Spain and other parts of the world. 

In particular, Dovetail is focused on the retrofitting of existing turboprop models with electric and hydrogen-electric fuel cell powerplants.  

According to David Doral, founder of Dante Aeronautical: 鈥淭he addressable market is huge. We estimate that in the global small commuter fleet alone there are more than 11,000 nine to nineteen seat aircraft that are currently capable of being retrofitted, which represents a US$15bn market鈥�. 

Dovetail Aviation is currently working to get certification for an integrated system that combines an electric motor, batteries and a hydrogen-fuel cell in one powertrain that can be fitted into converted turboprop aircraft. Dovetail claims the resulting aircraft will be 30-40% quieter and 40% cheaper to operate than the original fossil fuel-powered versions. 

Electric motors will be sourced from magniX, for which Dovetail has exclusive distribution rights in Australia, New Zealand and parts of Europe. 

This agreement between REX Airlines and Dovetail follows an already standing Memorandum of Understanding signed by both companies in July 2022. 

REX Airlines is the largest independent regional carrier in Australia, operating a fleet of 68 aircraft, 61 of which are 36-seater Saab 340 turboprops, on an entirely domestic network. 

Rex to lease two more Boeing 737 aircraft, deputy chairman takes shot at Qantas

• Civil Aviation

by精东影业 Team

1 minute read

The deal was announced on February 14, 2023. The delivery of two aircraft is expected in June and July 2023. The aircraft are reportedly on loan from Singapore Airlines.

鈥淩ex精东影业 domestic jet services have been performing very strongly and have been profitable in the past four months,” Australia’s former transport minister turned deputy chairman of Rex John Sharp said. 鈥淭he travelling public has been crying out for our reliable and affordable services in the light of the shameless price gouging by Qantas and these new additions will help to alleviate the situation.”

鈥淲e are still deciding where to deploy these additional aircraft and will explore all options,鈥� Sharp concluded.

The lease will bring the total Boeing 737-800NGs fleet of Rex to nine aircraft. The regional airline also operates a fleet of 61 Saab 340.

The concern, according to the ACCC, is that domestic airfares have gone well past levels seen prior to the pandemic, with airlines trying to cash in on demand without adding enough seats onto the market to cover it. 

鈥淎irfares have risen due to strong demand for travel and constrained supply as airlines have scaled back their schedules in response to high jet fuel costs and operational challenges,鈥� said Anna Brakey, the ACCC精东影业 Commissioner. According to Brakey, the 鈥渉istoric lows and highs for discount airfares in the same year illustrate how changeable this market has been as the industry recovers鈥�. 

However, the commissioner warned that while the authority understands the challenges airlines have been facing, whether that精东影业 labor shortages or high fuel prices, the ACCC 鈥渨ill be monitoring them closely to ensure they return capacity to the market in a timely manner to start easing pressure on airfares.鈥� 

According to the ACCC, Qantas Group, Virgin Australia, and Rex Airlines all expect to end the financial year in June 2023 profitably. 

鈥淚n the current climate of high airfares, competition is more important than ever in helping to constrain prices, and giving consumers more choice,鈥� Barkey indicated. According to the ACCC精东影业 report, airlines earned 27% more revenue per domestic passenger in October 2022 compared to the same month in 2019. International routes are also inflated due to the same reasons, namely crew shortages, supply constraints, and rising fuel prices, as well as reduced competition. The authority精东影业 report noted that in September 2022, 44 airlines flew internationally in and out of Australia, compared to 58 three years prior.  

Domestically, the Qantas Group remains dominant, with 61.1% of the market share on intra-Australian routes (38% Qantas, 23.1% Jetstar). Virgin Australia handled 33.6% of the total domestic traffic, while Rex精东影业 market share was 5.3% at the end of October 2022. 

Still, all three groups improved their operational reliability. While the industry-wide flight cancellation percentage was 6.4% in July 2022, by the end of October 2022, the number dropped to 2.0%. Delayed arrivals dropped from 45% to 30.7% during the same period. 

Celebrating 75 years of the Kangaroo Route: Qantas services to London

• Aviation History

byRytis Beresnevicius

2022-12-02

But what if you are invited to go down the emergency evacuation slide just for fun?

That精东影业 exactly what Australian comedy duo Hamish & Andy did in the company of their fans when they collaborated with regional carrier Rex Airlines.

Known for their wacky antics and wild adventures, the duo invited 61 of their podcast listeners to join them aboard a Rex Airlines Boeing 737 aircraft to film their final episode for 2022.

reported that the duo精东影业 inspiration for an 鈥楨mergency Slide Party鈥� began in May 2021, when planes were grounded and the idea of going down an evacuation slide without a life-threatening emergency 鈥渟eemed fun鈥�. 

After 18 months in the planning, the pair finally made it happen on November 22, 2022, with the cooperation of Rex Airlines and Melbourne Airport.

鈥淥ur Emergency Slide Party is a lesson in 鈥榶ou don鈥檛 know if you don鈥檛 ask!鈥� We asked, and Rex said yes! It is amazing the lengths we will go to for a three second slide, but this way was a lot more fun than attempting it after an emergency landing!鈥� Hamish and Andy said (as reported by Radioinfo.com.au).

From the terminal, the aircraft went to the hangar, where the passengers awaited their chance to go down the slide. 

Andy Lee, one half of the duo, announced over the aircraft精东影业 PA system: 鈥淭he aircraft has now come to a full stop. We鈥檝e checked outside and there精东影业 no fire or smoke, but there精东影业 a hot good time out there,鈥�

A Rex Airlines flight attendant showed the proper procedure before deploying the slide, which involves checking the outside conditions first. The flight attendant then opened the door, where the inflatable slide deployed in less than three seconds. 

Passengers were then taught how to go down the slide for a safe landing, which is to emulate a sitting position with back straight and away from the slide, and ankles angled towards you, not pointed away.

The evacuation slide, known then as an escape chute, was invented by James F. Boyle who submitted his patent in 1954. 

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires evacuation slides on aircraft which have doors six feet or more above the ground. If the emergency landing occurs over water, most of the slides can also be used as a raft.

Australia精东影业 Rex in talks for more 737s after boost in passenger numbers

• Aircraft

byVictoria Bryan

2022-08-02