Regional Express secures government funding to sustain flights
Australia's largest independent airline, Regional Express, will operate 38 return flights per week thanks to a government grant.
By Chris C., April 21 2020
Regional Express joins Qantas and Virgin Australia in receiving funding from the Australian Government to continue operating a minimum network of domestic flights, allowing the carrier to offer 1-2 return flights each week to most destinations across its network.
The value of the grant has not been disclosed, but comes as part of the $298 million COVID-19 Regional Airline Network Support (RANS) program unveiled by Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack in late March.
Read: Government rolls out $298m lifeline for regional airlines
Initial funding will cover six weeks of flying with 1-2 return services per week across most Regional Express routes, which can potentially be continued for up to six months under the RANS scheme.
Further to this, Rex has lodged an application for additional RANS funding that would enable it to resume service on a greater number of routes, and to offer as many as three return flights per week across others.
Without the current funding, “many smaller regional communities would risk not having any air services at all for at least six months,” said Regional Express Deputy Chairman John Sharp.
“All independent regional airline carriers would have collapsed in the coming days” without it, Sharp added.
Rex is also in discussions with the state governments of Queensland, South Australia and Western Australia concerning further additional flights, with these state governments having committed to extra funding for the airline, beyond that provided by the federal government.
Details of those extra state-funded flights have not yet been finalised, although here’s a list of weekly flights that will resume under federal government funding, and how Rex says that would increase if the carrier’s second grant application is also approved.
|
From |
To |
Return flights per week to resume now |
Total flights to resume upon further federal funding |
|
Sydney |
Albury, Cooma, Orange, Wagga |
1 |
2 |
|
Sydney |
Bathurst/Parkes, Dubbo/Broken Hill, Grafton/Lismore, Griffith/Narrandera-Leeton, Moruya/Merimbula |
2 |
3 |
|
Sydney |
Armidale, Ballina |
0 |
2 |
|
Melbourne |
Merimbula, Mildura, Mount Gambier |
1 |
2 |
|
Melbourne |
Albury/Wagga Wagga, Burnie/King Island |
2 |
3 |
|
Adelaide |
Broken Hill, Ceduna, Kangaroo Island, Mount Gambier, Port Lincoln, Whyalla, |
1 |
2 |
|
Adelaide |
Coober Pedy, Mildura |
0 |
2 |
|
Perth |
Albany, Esperance |
1 |
2 |
|
Perth |
Carnarvon/Monkey Mia |
1 |
3 |
|
Cairns |
Bamaga, Mount Isa, Townsville |
1 |
2 |
Routes indicated with a forward slash – such as Bathurst/Parkes – are operated as combined services.
Other multi-stop flights also resuming and which could increase with additional funding include:
|
Route name |
Path |
Return flights per week to resume |
Total flights to resume upon further federal funding |
|
Northern 1 Route |
Townsville – Winton – Longreach |
1 |
1 |
|
Northern 2 Route |
Townsville – Hughenden – Richmond – Julia Creak – Mt Isa |
1 |
2 |
|
Western 1 Route |
Brisbane – Wellcamp – Richmond – St George – Cunnamulla – Thargomindah |
1 |
1 |
|
Western 2 Route |
Brisbane – Wellcamp – Charleville – Quilpie – Windorah – Birdsville – Bedourie – Boulia – Mt Isa |
1 |
1 |
|
Gulf Route |
Cairns – Normanton – Mornington Island – Doomadgee – Mt Isa |
1 |
3 |
In total, Regional Express will resume 38 weekly return flights at first – counting one run of the multi-stop routes above as one flight – with that number doubling to 76 flights, if the federal government’s second round of funding comes through as the airline plans.
Also read: Qantas, Virgin Australia continue domestic flights with $165m government subsidy
Chris is a a former contributor to Executive Traveller.
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