Rex flying to expansion Regional airline plans to serve metro market
REGIONAL Express Holdings yesterday said its board had approved plans to raise at least $30 million to launch services that would compete against Qantas and Virgin Australia.
Rex, a regional airline that operates turboprops, would aim to have a fleet of five to 10 jets based in Sydney and/or Melbourne to service flights between Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne from March 1, 2021, pending funding and regulatory approval, the airline said in a statement.
It will raise at least $30 million
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Change through one or more of a sale-and-leaseback arrangement, equity injection and convertible notes, Rex said.
The company added that lessors were willing to provide funding covering 15 of its fleet of unencumbered Saab 340 turboprops.
“Rex’s domestic operations will be priced at affordable levels but will also include baggage allowance, meals on board and pre-assigned seating,” Rex deputy chairman
John Sharp said. “Lounge membership will be available for subscription.
“It is the hybrid model that Rex has so successfully pioneered over the last two decades for its regional operations.” Rex currently operates on less competitive regional routes including Sydney to Wagga Wagga and Adelaide to Port Lincoln using a fleet of ageing Saab 340 turboprop aeroplanes with 30 to 36 seats.
Its announcement of board approval to launch the jet flights came after US private equity group Bain Capital on Friday agreed with Virgin Australia’s administrator to buy the country’s second-biggest airline. The Virgin sale comes as the world aviation industry faces its biggest crisis, with numerous big-name carriers seeking billions of dollars in government help to prevent them from going under, while others have gone out of business.
Rex said it had also signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding with turboprop maker ATR, a joint venture between Airbus SE and Leonardo SpA, to study the eventual replacement of its Saab 340 fleet with larger ATR42 and ATR72 planes.