Regional Express to start Sydney-Newcastle flights on October 30

In a boon for many regional NSW business travellers, Rex will begin flights between Sydney and Newcastle from the end of October.

The airline (full name Regional Express) will fly the 45-minute route three times daily during the week, with two daily returns on the weekend.

The Sydney-Newcastle flights are well-timed for business travellers: weekday departures from Sydney are at 0715, 1415 and 1700, with flights from Newcastle departing at 0820, 1150 and 1810.

Here's the full timetable:

Rex will use its fleet of Saab 340 planes on the route, which seat between 33 and 36 passengers. The single cabin is laid out in a 1-2 configuration, so if you're travelling alone you'll want to aim for the seats on the left hand side of the plane.

Competitor Aeropelican offers five daily returns between Sydney and Newcastle, and lets you earn Qantas Frequent Flyer points -- all 88 of them each way.

Rex will also run daily return flights between Newcastle and Ballina/Byron Bay.

John Walton

Aviation journalist and travel columnist John took his first long-haul flight when he was eight weeks old and hasn't looked back since. Well, except when facing rearwards in business class.