Rex has announced it has won a competitive tender to service the Central 1 Route which connects the communities of Queensland’s Roma and Charleville to Brisbane.
Rex says the Central 1 route is one of 7 regulated routes put out for tender in July this year by the Queensland Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) and is currently serviced by QantasLink.
Additionally, Rex has been re-awarded the 5 regulated routes that it is currently servicing.
The 5 regulated routes are:
- Northern 1 Route from Townsville to Winton to Longreach and return;
- Northern 2 Route from Townsville to Hughenden to Richmond to Julia Creek to Mount
Isa and return; - Gulf Route from Cairns to Normanton to Mornington Island to Burketown to Doomadgee
to Mount Isa and return; - Western 1 Route from Brisbane to Toowoomba (Wellcamp) to St George to Cunnamulla
to Thargomindah and return; and - Western 2 Route from Brisbane to Toowoomba (Wellcamp) to Charleville to Quilpie to
Windorah to Birdsville to Bedourie to Boulia to Mount Isa and return.
Rex says the new contracts commence on 1 January 2022 for a period of 5 years.
Rex first began operating the Queensland regulated routes in February 2010 when it was awarded the Northern 1 and 2 routes from Townsville.
Five years later from January 2015 it was awarded all 5 routes listed above.
Rex General Manager Network Strategy, Warrick Lodge, said the Queensland Government’s decision was a ringing endorsement of the airline’s exemplary service to remote outback Queensland over the last decade, especially during the pandemic.
“When Rex was awarded the 5 regulated routes back in October 2014, Rex promised the Queensland State Government and the local regional communities that we would exceed the already very high standards we had been delivering on the Northern 1 and 2 routes since 2010.”
“Today I can honestly say that we have acquitted ourselves well on the promise. We have exceeded all KPIs, achieved record customer satisfaction ratings and we have not had a single missed flight over the last 7 years to the 23 communities that we serviced under the contract.”
“We have worked tirelessly to forge genuine partnerships with remote communities and strived to give back to the local community wherever we can.”
“Rex welcomes Roma to our vast network and we are glad that it can now finally benefit from Rex’s incomparable services after missing out for well over a decade.”
Mr Lodge thanked TMR for the strong partnership over the past 12 years and reiterated the airline’s unwavering commitment to providing the highest quality airline services to the 24 communities which span the entire state of Queensland.
Click here for more information.
- Movers + Shakers: Anna Riedel and Antonio Khattar moved into key roles at The Walshe Group
- Expert expedition-cruise insights: Hayley Peacock-Gower, Aurora Expeditions
- Viking launches Platinum Club: here are the details & how you can join a Platinum Club Voyage
- Air NZ returns to Tasmania & boosts capacity across Asia; Chicago pause continues
- Travel Manitoba taps Global Tourism Solutions to drive Down Under visitation