Summary

  • Key takeaways:
  • Rex launching transcontinental flights brings much-needed competition to popular routes, benefitting travelers with lower fares.
  • Rex’s new Boeing 737 route between Melbourne and Perth will add nearly 90,000 seats, perfect for the mid-year school holiday period.
  • Rex Group’s connectivity benefits mainline domestic passengers and regional flyers with synergies among its various airlines and aviation businesses.

Australia’s commercial aviation industry is renowned for being a tough and unforgiving environment, particularly for any new airline wanting to take on the entrenched duopoly, be it Ansett Airlines and Trans Australia Airlines from years ago or today’s Qantas and Virgin Australia pairing.

Some good news for a change

The demise of low-cost carrier Bonza has proven that, but today’s good news is that Australia’s third airline, Rex, is launching transcontinental flights from Melbourne to Perth and flying to all state capitals, bringing much-needed competition to this popular route.

Rex Soars to New Heights with 10th Boeing 737-800

Photo: Rex

This is a fantastic outcome for Australian leisure and business travelers on both sides of the continent, particularly given that Rex is Australia’s most reliable airline and fares drop when it enters a new route, like Melbourne-Perth.

Related

Rex Adds 10th Boeing 737 In Time For Peak Summer Demand

Rex ends the year in good shape with 10 Boeing 737s flying domestically and retaining its title as Australia’s most reliable airline for most of 2023.

Today, Rex announced it is launching flights between Melbourne Airport (MEL) and Perth Airport (PER), its eleventh domestic service. The Rex domestic network now extends from Cairns in the northeast corner to Perth in the southwest corner of Australia, with Boeing 737-800 domestic services operating to the Gold Coast, Brisbane, Sydney, Canberra, Melbourne, Hobart and Adelaide.

Rex Boeing 737-800 Melbourne Airport

Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying

The new Boeing 737 route will operate five times weekly and launch on June 28, perfectly timed for the start of the mid-year school holiday period. Rex General Manager Network Strategy Warrick Lodge said the new service would add nearly 90,000 seats to one of the nation’s busiest routes, which is great news for business, trade, tourism and travelers.

“When more airlines compete on a particular route, consumers benefit, and our record in the domestic markets speaks for itself – Rex delivers terrific value for money. Rex consistently outshines its domestic rivals in on-time performance and cancellation rates, and when travellers are booking a route of this distance and duration, reliability is paramount.”

Rex Group connectivity

While the new route to Perth is all good news for mainline domestic passengers, it also brings into play the synergies that the Rex Group has built up among its various airlines and aviation businesses. Rex operates scheduled flights to 56 domestic and regional destinations, while its joint-venture partner, National Jet Express (NJE), has extensive fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) operations serving resource and mining sites.

IMG Rex Airlines Route Map 240524

Mpa: Rex

Both Rex and NJE are well-established airline operators in Western Australia, and the regional connectivity through Perth and Melbourne airports will bring simplicity and speed for passengers needing more than a straight domestic connection. From Perth Airport, Rex operates regional flights to Carnarvon, Monkey Mia, Albany and Esperance.

Regional Express Rex Boeing 737 and Saab 340 Aircraft On Apron

Photo: Rex 

For its regional operations, Rex uses Saab 340 turboprops, while NJE operates a fleet of Embraer E190 jets and De Havilland Dash 8-400NG turboprops to service mining and resource operations in Australia and De Havilland Dash 8-100 aircraft for FIFO services in Papua New Guinea (PNG) and between Cairns and PNG.

REX National Jet Express Embraer E190

Photo: NJE

Flights on the Melbourne-Perth route are now on sale, starting from AU$299 ($198) each way economy to AU$999 ($660) for business class. All Rex fares include carry-on and checked bags and onboard refreshments. There is more good news on the way as Rex said it “will make a further announcement in coming days on yet another domestic route.”

Have you flown with Rex recently? Tell us about it in the comments.

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