Australia's Rex takes 20% stake in Dovetail Aviation

Australia's Rex trims services due to pilot pillaging

Rex - Regional Express (ZL, Wagga Wagga) is cutting services across seven regional routes from October 30, 2023, blaming the major carriers, particularly Qantas Group, for "their relentless pillaging of Rex's pilot group."

In a statement released immediately before markets closed on September 22, Rex said service reductions would occur on the following Saab 340B and Saab 340B(Plus) operated routes:

• Sydney Kingsford Smith - Albury currently at 23 roundtrips per week;
• Sydney - Coffs Harbour currently at 22 roundtrips per week;
• Sydney - Griffith currently at 20 roundtrips per week;
• Sydney - Narrandera currently at 12 roundtrips per week;
• Sydney - Orange, NS currently at 16 roundtrips per week;
• Sydney - Parkes currently at 11 roundtrips per week; and
• Sydney - Port Macquarie currently at 17 roundtrips per week.

In addition, Rex confirms it will permanently end services on the Cairns - Bamaga route and suspend services on the Sydney - Armidale...

Editorial Comment: Appearing before a Australian Government Senate Select Committee on September 27, Rex Deputy Chairman John Sharp said the airline had lost 37% of its Saab pilots in the past 12 months, most to the Qantas Group. He called Australia's most dominant airline "bullies." - 27.09.2023 - 09:20 UTC

Sydney Airport slot regime review likely says minister

The Australian government has indicated it will look at reforming the slot regime at Sydney Kingsford Smith, Australia's busiest airport that is served by 55 airlines but dominated by three - Qantas, Jetstar Airways, and Virgin Australia.

The government released its Aviation Green Paper on September 7, a precursor to developing the Aviation White Paper. The government is touting the forthcoming White Paper as influencing the country's aviation policy through the middle of the century. Recommendations on how to improve slot management at Sydney Airport were made in 2020 by a government-commissioned independent review. Those recommendations have been ignored to date, but last week, Transport Minister Catherine King said that could change.

"The Government is considering the recommendations from the Review of the Sydney Airport Demand Management Scheme," King said in a September 7 statement. "We have recently concluded targeted consultation regarding potential changes to the Scheme, with a particular eye to modernising the slot allocation framework and strengthening compliance measures to ensure that slots are not being misused by airlines. I will have...

Australia's Rex adds wet-leased Q400 capacity for WA ops

Western Australia re-awards Rex, Skippers RPT routes

Two incumbent operators have won five-year extensions on a series of regulated regional air routes in Western Australia. Rex - Regional Express (ZL, Wagga Wagga) had its contract to operate on the Perth International - Esperance, Perth - Albany, WA, and Perth - Carnarvon - Monkey Mia routes renewed after no other airlines tendered for the five-year contract, while Skippers Aviation (HK, Perth International) was re-awarded the Perth - Laverton - Leonora, and Perth - Wiluna - Meekatharra - Mount Magnet routes. The new contracts commence on October 2, 2023, and run until July 2, 2028.

"Both Rex and Skippers Aviation have a long history of working with the state government to provide air services for regional residents, and their tender submissions demonstrated they were best placed to continue operating on their respective routes," said Western Australia Transport Minister Rita Saffioti.

Under Western Australia's regulated air routes regime, an airline is granted monopoly rights to operate on certain routes for a specific period. There...