Rex granted authorisation to coordinate with QantasLink and Virgin Australia

Regional Express (Rex) announced (26-Mar-2020) it was granted interim authorisation from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on 26-Mar-2020 to coordinate with QantasLink and Virgin Australia on 10 regional routes where Rex competes with QantasLink and/or Virgin Australia:

• Sydney-Wagga Wagga, Albury, Armidale and Dubbo;
• Melbourne-Mildura;
• Adelaide-Port Lincoln, Whyalla and Kangaroo Island;
• Townsville-Mount Isa and Cairns.

Rex will enter discussions with QantasLink on how to best service regional communities if there are meaningful assistance packages provided by Australia's Federal, State and Local Governments. Rex deputy chairman John Sharp reported governments "all need to act urgently and decisively to determine specific assistance packages so that the airlines can at lease provide the bare minimum of essential air services to keep the communities running… Eight other regional airlines have given a 24 hour ultimatum to the Federal Government saying they have only days before they collapse". [more - original PR] [more - original PR - II] [more - original PR - III]