Rex Regional Express Ends Boeing 737 Operations and Enters Administration
Australian airline Rex, which entered voluntary administration on July 30, will affect 11 domestic routes. However, other operators will continue to serve these routes.
Ernst & Young has been appointed to handle the administration process. While Rex’s jet operations are grounded, its regional turboprop services will proceed as scheduled.
Rex was set to operate 11 routes with its Boeing 737-800s, including flights from Melbourne to Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Hobart, Gold Coast, Perth, and Sydney, as well as flights from Sydney to Adelaide, Brisbane, and Gold Coast. The only route not involving Melbourne or Sydney was Adelaide to Brisbane.
This decision follows a cessation of all Boeing 737-800 flights and grounding of the jet fleet. However, operations involving Regional Saab 340A flights remain unaffected and will continue as normal. Pel-Air Aviation (PFY, Sydney Kingsford Smith) air ambulance services and the Australian Airline Pilot Academy are not included in the administration and continue to operate independently.
The move into administration was determined during a board meeting on July 30, 2024, and has been handled by Ernst & Young Australia (EY Australia) appointees Samuel Freeman, Justin Walsh, and Adam Nikitins as Joint and Several Voluntary Administrators. Affected entities include Regional Express Holdings Limited, Regional Express Pty Limited, Rex Airlines Pty Ltd, Rex Investment Holdings Pty Limited, and Air Partners Pty Ltd.
Despite the administration, these routes will still be available through other airlines, unlike the recent Bonza administration which left many routes unserved.
Current domestic capacity for Rex includes:
- Adelaide-Brisbane: Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia
- Adelaide-Melbourne: Jetstar, Qantas, Qatar Airways, Virgin Australia
- Adelaide-Sydney: Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia
- Brisbane-Melbourne: Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia
- Brisbane-Sydney: Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia
- Canberra-Melbourne: Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia
- Hobart-Melbourne: Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia
- Melbourne-Gold Coast: Jetstar, Virgin Australia
- Melbourne-Perth: Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia
- Melbourne-Sydney: Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia
- Gold Coast-Sydney: Jetstar, Qantas, Virgin Australia
Rex entered the jet market in March 2021 and expanded its network over time. Despite the current challenges, it will continue to operate turboprop flights with its Saab 340 aircraft.
Notably, Rex’s subsidiaries, such as Pel-Air and the Australian Airline Pilot Academy, are not affected by the administration.