Regional Express (Rex) Airlines has taken a leap towards launching its domestic operations, with the delivery of its first Boeing 737-800 NG aircraft in Sydney on Thursday of last week.
Rex Airlines has entered the lucrative SYD/MEL/BNE love triangle with Virgin Australia and Qantas after announcing that it’ll begin flights to the three major cities with its new 737s early next year.
The domestic airline will begin flying the highly coveted Golden Triangle route between Melbourne-Sydney on 1 March and Brisbane from April 2021.
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The 737-800 NG aircraft that landed in Sydney last week is the first of six leased by Rex and will be used for training activities before the proving flight for the Civil Aviation and Safety Authority (CASA) on 5 December 2020, before they begin flying for the airline in March and April next year.
Rex’s Deputy Chairman, the Hon John Sharp AM, said, “Rex has an 18-year track record of leading On-Time Performance and affordable fares in its regional services and for the first time the domestic market can look forward to a safe, reliable air service that is affordable.”
“If our services prove successful, we will inject up to 10 aircraft into the domestic market by the end of 2021. From there, we intend to develop a full domestic airline network, linking all the capital cities over time.”
The Hon John Sharp AM, Rex’s Deputy Chairman.
Rex has reportedly leased the Boeing 737s off the back of Virgin Australia’s restructuring, including aircraft that were used on the now terminated Tigerair brand.
The livery for Rex’s domestic airline fleet will be released by the end of November.
Tickets for Rex’s Melbourne-Sydney return services go on sale in early December, at www.rex.com.au.