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Regional Express Airlines

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Regional Express Pty Ltd (also known as Rex), is an airline based in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. It operates scheduled regional services. It is Australia's largest regional airline outside the Qantas group of companies and serves the Eastern states and South Australia. Its entire fleet consists of Swedish built SAAB 340 turboprop aircraft seating 33, 34 or 36 passengers.

History

The airline was established in 2002 when the Australiawide Airlines consortium (set up by former Ansett employees) acquired Hazelton Airlines and Kendell Airlines, merged the two companies and started operations in August 2002 as Rex. In 2005 Australiawide Airlines was renamed Regional Express Holdings and partially floated on the Australian Securities Exchange. On 30 November 2005, Rex announced the acquisition of the Dubbo based Air Link, another regional airline.

In October 2007 Rex expanded into Queensland when it commenced operations between Brisbane and Maryborough. This exacerbated an existing problem within the company of not having enough pilots to crew its flights (due to the expansion of larger airlines, especially Jetstar Airways and Virgin Blue Airlines), and Rex suspended operations out of Brisbane (and from Sydney to Cooma, New South Wales during the summer "low season" for this route to the NSW ski fields) in November 2007. To provide a medium-term solution to the pilot shortage Rex announced that it was establishing a cadet pilot flight training programme. At the same time Rex announced the impending retirement of Managing director Geoff Breust.

Services

from Adelaide, South Australia

from Brisbane, Queensland

  • Maryborough, Queensland (services suspended November 2007 until March 2008)
  • Lismore, New South Wales (Saturdays only, services suspended until March 2008)

from Melbourne, Victoria

from Sydney, New South Wales

Fleet

Rex operates a large fleet of twin turboprop engined SAAB 340 passenger aircraft of all versions. Several 340Bs, a 340A and all Kendell CRJ-200s and Hazelton Metros were taken out of service following the establishment of Regional Express. Since then the former Kendell Metro fleet has also been gradually phased out of service, with the remaining 4 aircraft being transferred to Pel-Air in late 2006 and the first half of 2007.

Since the establishment of the airline, Regional Express has added over twenty SAABs to those inherited from Kendell and Hazelton to expand its fleet. Most of them have the registrations notified by VH-RX* or VH-*RX, short for REX. Of these, two (VH-ZLY and 'ZRX) are former Hazelton aircraft that served with other operators before being bought by Rex. One aircraft, VH-ZLR, was operated by Kendell Airlines and Rex (as VH-KDR), then flew in Europe for several years before being re-leased by Rex with new paint and leather interior.

Regional Express rotates its Saab 340As and 340Bs between Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney. The delivery of 25 ex-American Eagle SAAB 340B Plus aircraft (to be leased) over 3 years starting in mid-2007 will enable the expansion of services and the retirement of some of the older leased aircraft, and increase the fleet to about 50 units. The 340B Plus has a quieter and improved interior, with the usual leather seating that is typical to the SAAB 340.

Special logos

When the Regional Express livery was first introduced, the logos of the former operators Kendell and Hazelton were located underneath the leading passenger window to the rear of the main entrance door (one aircraft, VH-EKH, still displays these logos with the motto "Our heart is in the country").

In addition to VH-EKH mentioned above, several aircraft in the Rex fleet display special logos or other visual features:

  • VH-EKD has a mural on the LH forward fuselage (Right) promoting the outback City of Broken Hill. This mural was executed by a group known as the Arid Zone Artists in 1998.
  • VH-EKT displays the Seal of the City of Burnie (Left) on the entry door, which has been present since the aircraft was delivered to Kendell in 1990.
  • VH-TRX has a caricature of Kay Hull MHR (Right), whose efforts were instrumental in helping Rex to become established, on the LH forward fuselage. The City of Wagga Wagga is within her electorate of Riverina.
  • VH-ZLR does not display the Rex reservations telephone number.
  • Several aircraft also have decals displaying the SAAB corporate logo on the entry door or the "Our heart is in the country" motto; some have both.
  • VH-ZRX has "SAAB 340" written on the door instead of a Saab corporate logo, a relic of its service with Air Nelson.

Fleetlist

As of March 2008, eight 340A, 22 340B and ten 340B Plus aircraft. are in the expanding fleet. In July 2007 the company announced that it had purchased five previously-leased 340B aircraft. The older ex Kendell 340As are also gradually undergoing refurbishment to keep the fleet up to date, with new paint and interior upgrades such as leather seats, etc. .
Registration Aircraft Type Owned/Leased Year Built No of Seats
VH-EKD Saab 340A Owned 1989 34
VH-EKH Saab 340B+ Leased 1995 34
VH-EKT Saab 340A Owned 1987 34
VH-EKX Saab 340B Leased 1991 34
VH-JRX Saab 340B Owned 1990 33
VH-KDB Saab 340A Owned 1984 34
VH-KDI Saab 340A Owned 1988 34
VH-KDK Saab 340A Owned 1985 34
VH-KDQ Saab 340B Leased 1992 34
VH-KDV Saab 340B Leased 1992 34
VH-KEQ Saab 340A Owned 1984 34
VH-KRX Saab 340B Leased 1992 34
VH-NRX Saab 340B Leased 1992 34
VH-OLL Saab 340B Owned 1989 36
VH-OLM Saab 340B Owned 1990 36
VH-OLN Saab 340B Owned 1990 36
VH-ORX Saab 340B Leased 1992 34
VH-PRX Saab 340B Leased 1992 34
VH-RXE Saab 340B Owned 1991 34
VH-RXN Saab 340B Owned 1991 34
VH-RXQ Saab 340B Owned 1990 33
VH-RXS Saab 340B Owned 1992 34
VH-RXX Saab 340B Owned 1990 34
VH-SBA Saab 340B Owned 1992 36
VH-TRX Saab 340B Leased 1992 34
VH-XRX Saab 340B Owned 1990 33
VH-YRX Saab 340B Owned 1990 33
VH-ZLA Saab 340B+ Leased 1995 34
VH-ZLC Saab 340B+ Leased 1995 34
VH-ZLF Saab 340B+ Leased 1995 34
VH-ZLG Saab 340B+ Leased 1995 34
VH-ZLH Saab 340B+ Leased 1995 34
VH-ZLJ Saab 340B+ Leased 1995 34
VH-ZLK Saab 340B+ Leased 1996 34
VH-ZL* Saab 340B+ Yet to be Delivered 1996 34
VH-ZLQ Saab 340B+ Leased 1995 34
VH-ZLR Saab 340B Leased 1991 34
VH-ZLX Saab 340B Owned 1990 33
VH-ZLY Saab 340A Owned 1985 36
VH-ZRA Saab 340B+ Yet to be delivered 1996 34
VH-ZRB Saab 340B+ Leased 1996 34
VH-ZRX Saab 340A Owned 1985 36

Aircraft orders

Rex has ordered 25 ex American Eagle SAAB 340B Plus aircraft, which have extended wingtips (offered as an option on Saab 340B Plus aircraft) to increase flight performance and fuel efficiency, plus improved interior soundproofing. The first was originally scheduled to arrive in late 2006, however Rex took delivery of the first on April 30 2007; it entered service on June 6th. By March 2008 nine had been delivered, bringing the REX fleet to 40. The 340B Plus aircraft (which will have 34 blue leather seats) will be painted in the REX livery prior to delivery and are fitted with the optional Hamilton Standard propellers (present on all current and former American Eagle Saab 340B aircraft) instead of the Dowty Rotol propellers fitted to the existing fleet.

References

See also

External links



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Last updated on Wednesday March 12, 2008 at 09:18:49 PDT (GMT -0700)
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