Regional Express Holdings (Rex) has announced a change of leadership, with Neville Howell named the new CEO of the airline.
An airline industry veteran, Howell has been with Rex for 34 years, including 12 years at Rex predecessor Hazelton Airlines. He has served as the airline’s Chief Operating Officer for the last decade.
Under the terms of his new contract, Howell’s initial tenure as CEO is two years.
Meanwhile, the company announced that Lim Kim Hai would be stepping down from his role as Executive Chairman after 21 years in the position. Hai remains a Non-Executive Director and shareholder of the company.
Elsewhere, the Honourable John Sharp AM has been appointed Non-Executive Chairman after serving as Deputy Chairman for the last 20 years.
“Kim Hai has given extraordinary service to the Rex Group during his time as Executive Chairman,” Sharp said.
“The company has grown from a small regional operator to one of the major aviation businesses in Australia today.
“On behalf of all of us at Rex I would like to extend our thanks to him for his leadership and huge effort over the many years he has led the company.”
There are no other changes to the board and management team.
Howell takes the reins at Rex as the airline expands its services to the west coast. On 28 June, the carrier will launch new flights between Melbourne and Perth, operating the service five times per week. Also later this month, the carrier will commence new services between Adelaide and Perth.
In 2023, the airline launched its first loyalty rewards program, Rex Flyer.
Earlier this year, the company announced a statutory after-tax loss of $3.2 million for the first half of the FY24 compared to the $16.5 million after-tax loss in the prior period.
