Regional Express Airlines

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REX (Regional Express)

IATA ZL	ICAO RXA / HZL	Callsign Rex
Founded		2002
Fleet size		31 (2006)
Destinations		31
Parent company		Regional Express Holdings Limited
Headquarters		Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
Key people		Geoff Breust, Managing Director
Website: http://www.rex.com.au/

Regional Express Airlines (also known as Rex), is Australia's largest private regional airline serving the south eastern states. Rex was formed by the acquisition of Hazelton and Kendell Airlines, and started operations in August 2002.

On 30 November 2005, Rex announced the acquisition of the Dubbo based Air Link, another regional airline.^[1]

1 Services
- 1.1 Rex Services
- 1.2 Air Link Services
2 Fleet
- 2.1 Aircraft orders
3 See also
4 External links
5 References

[edit] Services

[edit] Rex Services

New South Wales

Victoria
- Melbourne, Victoria
- Mildura, Victoria
- Portland, Victoria (services to be withdrawn from 31 December 2006^[2])

South Australia

Tasmania
- Burnie Airport Wynyard, Tasmania
- King Island Airport King Island

[edit] Air Link Services

[edit] Fleet

Regional Express Saab 340

A Regional Express Fairchild Metro 23

As of December 2006 the Rex fleet includes:^[3]

8 Saab 340A
23 Saab 340B
3 Fairchild Metro 23 for Charter only (Only in Adelaide)

Rex operates 31 Saab 340 aircraft with the fleet consists of mainly ex Kendell and Hazelton Airlines with some seating 33, the majority 34 passengers, and some 36 passengers with various interior options, sheepskin seat covers are inside the former Kendells, while leather seats are in most of the other units. 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 right of the main entrance door. Several Saab 340B (and 1 340A) and all Kendell Regional Jets and Hazelton Metros were taken out of service. Regional Express has also added 14 of its own Saab 340Bs (most of them built between 1989 and 1992) to expand its fleet, with the registrations notified by VH-RX* or VH-*RX, short for REX. VH-EKH is the newest Saab in the fleet until the Saab 340B plus is introduced in 2007. All previous Metro 23's in the fleet were ex Kendell delivered in the early 1990s.

The Fairchild Metro 23 fleet was originally 7 but as of October 14, 2006 were withdrawn from passanger service, the 3 metros will be continued to be operated by the airline for charter flights.^[4] Regional Express operates the Saab 340A mainly out of Melbourne (and occasionally Adelaide and Sydney) and mostly Saab 340Bs out of Adelaide and Sydney (though the 340Bs do operate out of Melbourne to a lesser degree). Saab 340A VH-KDK was the first aircraft of this type to be delivered and registered in Australia.

Eventually the Saab 340A's will be replaced with 25 Saab 340B Plus (on lease) over the next 3 years, 8 will enter service in 2007, 9 in 2008 and another 8 in 2009. The Saab 340B plus has a much quieter and vastly improved interior. Regional Express actually had a Saab 340B plus in its earlier years which was a former Hazelton Aircraft. The 340As which all are owned by the airline will probably be used for charter, while some of the 340Bs on lease will be probably be removed from service. The 340As are expected to be retired in 2008 or 2009.

31 Saab 340 (Registrations VH-***)
- 8 Saab 340A - VH-KDK, KDI, KDB, KEQ, EKD, EKT, ZLY, ZRX
- 23 Saab 340B - KDQ, KDV, EKH, EKX, OLL, OLM, OLN, JRX, KRX, NRX, ORX, PRX, TRX, XRX, YRX, RXE, RXN, RXQ, RXS, RXX, SBA, ZLR, ZLX, (Two more 340Bs on order, Cn 222 and 370)
- Saab 340B Plus - First (Cn 371) to be delivered in Janurary 2006.

3 Fairchild Metro 23 (For charter flights in Adelaide only) - VH-KAN, KDO and KEU.

Former Kendell Aircraft, EKD, EKH, EKT, EKX, KDB, KDI, KDK, KDQ, KDV, KEQ, ZLR Former Hazelton Aircraft, OLL, OLM, OLN, SBA, ZLY, ZRX

[edit] Aircraft orders

Rex has ordered 25 Saab 340Bplus aircraft in the largest lease deal for the type, which has a resigned extended wing to increase flight performance and fuel efficiency. It should enter service over the next three years. ^[5]