Rex - Regional Express (ZL, Wagga Wagga) says it has received approval from Australia's government to bring in overseas pilots, engineers and flight instructors to help overcome what the regional carrier describes as a “critical skills shortage” in the industry.

The airline has been granted a five-year labour agreement (LA) by the Department of Home Affairs which allows Regional Express (Rex) to hire overseas workers in those three areas on temporary skills shortage visas.

Given the type of aircraft that they operate, regional airlines like Rex are often at the bottom of the food chain when it comes to recruiting and retaining staff in these critical areas. The Rex Group's deputy chairman John Sharp said the dearth of pilots, engineers and instructors had “severely impacted” Rex in recent times.

“The LA also allows accessibility to more flight instructors and this will bolster our capability to produce more pilots at our pilot academy, the Australian Airline Pilot Academy (AAPA), based in Wagga Wagga, thereby perpetuating the cycle of pilots to meet the needs of the Rex Group and the broader aviation industry in Australia.”

As a result of the staff shortages, Rex has at times been forced to cancel flights due to not having its usual contingent of stand-by pilots rostered for duty.

“The Rex Group is confident the LA will provide much-needed assistance in helping us fill up our establishment for pilots and engineers so that we can continue to provide regular, reliable and affordable air services to regional and remote communities throughout our vast regular public transport (RPT) network in every state in Australia,” continued Sharp.

The airline remains determined to seek Australian workers to fill these pilot, instructor and engineering roles. “The Rex Group will continue its search for skilled workers in Australia and is 100% committed to supporting local employment by ensuring that the employment of Australian workers will take precedence over skilled workers from overseas,” Sharp concluded.