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- Australian airline Regional Express (REX) has announced increases to its flying schedule, in response to similar actions taken by QantasLink
- QantasLink, the regional brand of Australian aviation giant, Qantas, is one of Regional Express’ main competitors
- QantasLink has more than doubled its flights to regional towns as COVID-19 travel restrictions start to lift
- In response, from July 6, Regional Express will provide daily weekday return services, and twice-daily return services on certain days
- The increases will open up access to Albury, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Ballina, Orange, Mildura, Whyalla, Port Lincoln, and Kangaroo Island
- However, Friday’s announcement did not give any information about existing or increasing flights on Saturdays or Sundays.
- Regional Express shares remain steady at market open, trading for $1.10 each
Australian airline Regional Express (REX) has announced increases to its flying schedule, in response to similar actions taken by QantasLink.
QantasLink, the regional brand of Australian aviation giant, Qantas, is one of Regional Express’ main competitors. Virgin Australia Regional Airlines is the other main source of competition in providing regional and rural flight routes.
While the strictest COVID-19 travel restrictions have been in place, accessing rural and regional Australian towns has been almost impossible. In some cases, this was to keep the pandemic out of remote communities, where Indigenous and Aboriginal Australians are particularly vulnerable to diseases.
As those COVID-19 travel restrictions are now starting to ease, access to remote Australian towns is beginning to open up again. As such, QantasLink has more than doubled its flights to ports which Regional Express also flies to.
In response, Rex will soon start providing daily weekday return services to those competitive routes. The company will also provide twice-daily return services on certain days. This service will facilitate day-return travel, allowing passengers to arrive and depart on the same day. These increased services will become available from July 6, 2020.
For people in Sydney, the flight route increases will open up access to Albury, Wagga Wagga, Dubbo, Ballina, and Orange. For those in Melbourne, the increases will apply to flights headed to and from Mildura. In Adelaide, there will now be more flights to and from Whyalla, Port Lincoln, and Kingscote on Kangaroo Island.
However, Friday’s announcement did not give any information about existing or increasing flights on Saturdays or Sundays.
Regional Express shares remain steady at market open, trading for $1.10 each.
