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REX (Regional Express)
IATA ZL	ICAO RXA / HZL	Callsign Rex
Founded		2002
Fleet size		38 (2007)
Destinations		29 (three suspended)
Parent company		Regional Express Holdings Limited
Headquarters		Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia
Key people		Jim Davis, Acting Managing Director[1] Chris Hine, Chief Pilot
Website: www.rex.com.au

Regional Express Pty Ltd (also known as Rex), is an airline based in Wagga Wagga, New South Wales, Australia. It operates scheduled regional services^[2]. It is Australia's largest regional airline outside the Qantas group of companies and serves the Eastern states and South Australia. Its entire fleet consists of Swedish built SAAB 340 turboprop aircraft seating 33, 34 or 36 passengers.

Contents 1 History 2 Services 2.1 REX Services 3 Fleet 4 The REX Fleet 4.1 Aircraft orders 5 References 6 See also 7 External links

The airline was established in 2002 when the Australiawide Airlines consortium (set up by former Ansett employees) acquired Hazelton Airlines and Kendell Airlines, merged the two companies and started operations in August 2002 as Rex^[2]. In 2005 Australiawide Airlines was renamed Regional Express Holdings and partially floated on the Australian Securities Exchange^[3]. On 30 November 2005, Rex announced the acquisition of the Dubbo based Air Link, another regional airline^[4].

In October 2007 Rex expanded into Queensland when it commenced operations between Brisbane and Maryborough^[5]. This exacerbated an existing problem within the company of not having enough pilots to crew its flights (due to the expansion of larger airlines, especially Jetstar Airways and Virgin Blue Airlines)^[6][7], and Rex suspended operations out of Brisbane^[8] (and from Sydney to Cooma, New South Wales during the summer "low season" for this route to the NSW ski fields)^[9] in November 2007. To provide a medium-term solution to the pilot shortage Rex announced that it was establishing a cadet pilot flight training programme^[10]. At the same time Rex announced the impending retirement of Managing director Geoff Breust^[1].

from Adelaide, South Australia

• Broken Hill, New South Wales 340B
• Ceduna, South Australia 340B
• Coober Pedy, South Australia 340A/B
• Kingscote, Kangaroo Island, South Australia 340A/B
• Mount Gambier, South Australia 340A/B
• Port Lincoln, South Australia 340B
• Whyalla, South Australia 340A/B

from Brisbane, Queensland

• Maryborough, Queensland (services suspended November 2007 until March 2008^[8]) 340B
• Lismore, New South Wales (Saturdays only, services suspended until March 2008^[8]) 340B

from Melbourne, Victoria

• Albury, New South Wales 340A/B
• Burnie (Wynyard), Tasmania 340A
• Griffith, New South Wales 340A/B
• King Island, Tasmania 340A
• Merimbula, New South Wales 340A/B
• Mildura, Victoria 340A
• Mount Gambier, South Australia 340A/B
• Wagga Wagga, New South Wales 340A/B

from Sydney, New South Wales

• Albury, New South Wales 340A/B
• Ballina, New South Wales 340B
• Broken Hill, New South Wales 340B
• Cooma, New South Wales (services suspended November 2007 until May 2008^[9]) 340B
• Dubbo, New South Wales 340A/B
• Grafton, New South Wales 340B
• Griffith, New South Wales 340B
• Lismore, New South Wales 340B
• Merimbula, New South Wales 340A/B
• Mildura, Victoria 340B
• Moruya, New South Wales 340A/B
• Narrandera, New South Wales 340B
• Orange, New South Wales 340B
• Parkes, New South Wales 340B
• Taree, New South Wales 340B
• Wagga Wagga, New South Wales 340A/B

Rex operates a large fleet of twin turboprop engined SAAB 340 passenger aircraft of all versions. Several 340Bs, a 340A and all Kendell CRJ-200s and Hazelton Metros were taken out of service following the establishment of Regional Express. Since then the former Kendell Metro fleet has also been gradually phased out of service, with the remaining 4 aircraft being transferred to Pel-Air in late 2006 and the first half of 2007^[11].

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 rear of the main entrance door (one aircraft, VH-EKH, still displays these logos with the motto "Our heart is in the country").

Since the establishment of the airline, Regional Express has added over twenty SAABs to those inherited from Kendell and Hazelton to expand its fleet. Most of them have the registrations notified by VH-RX* or VH-*RX, short for REX. Of these, two (VH-ZLY and 'ZRX) are former Hazelton aircraft that served with other operators before being bought by Rex. One aircraft, VH-ZLR, was operated by Kendell Airlines and Rex (as VH-KDR), then flew in Europe for several years before being re-leased by Rex with new paint and leather interior.

Regional Express operates the SAAB 340A mainly out of Melbourne and mostly SAAB 340B's out of Adelaide and Sydney (though the 340Bs do operate out of Melbourne to a lesser degree, especially to Griffith and to Merimbula, this service continuing to Sydney via Moruya). 340A VH-KDK was the first aircraft of this type to be delivered and registered in Australia. The delivery of 25 ex-American Eagle SAAB 340B Plus aircraft (to be leased) over 3 years starting in mid-2007 will enable the expansion of services and the retirement of some of the older leased aircraft, and increase the fleet to about 50 units. The 340B Plus has a quieter and vastly improved interior, with the usual leather seating that is typical to the SAAB 340.

In addition to VH-EKH mentioned above, several aircraft in the Rex fleet display special logos or other visual features:

• VH-EKD has a mural on the LH forward fuselage (Right) promoting the outback City of Broken Hill. This mural was executed by a group known as the Arid Zone Artists in 1998.

• VH-EKT displays the Seal of the City of Burnie (Left) on the entry door, which has been present since the aircraft was delivered to Kendell in 1990.

• VH-TRX has a caricature of Kay Hull MHR (Right), whose efforts were instrumental in helping Rex to become established, on the LH forward fuselage. The City of Wagga Wagga is within her electorate of Riverina.
• VH-ZLR does not display the Rex reservations telephone number.
• Several aircraft also have decals displaying the SAAB corporate logo on the entry door or the "Our heart is in the country" motto; some have both.
• VH-ZRX has "SAAB 340" written on the door instead of a Saab corporate logo, a relic of its service with Air Nelson.

As of December 2007, 8 340A, 22 340B and 8 340B Plus aircraft.^[12] are in the expanding fleet. In July 2007 the company announced that it had purchased five previously-leased 340B aircraft. They are VH-RXE, RXN, RXS, RXX and TRX. ^[13].

Registration	Aircraft Type	Owned/Leased	Year Built	No of Seats
VH-EKD	Saab 340A	Owned	1989	34
VH-EKH	Saab 340B Plus	Leased	1995	34
VH-EKT	Saab 340A	Owned	1987	34
VH-EKX	Saab 340B	Leased	1991	34
VH-JRX	Saab 340B	Owned	1990	33
VH-KDB	Saab Fairchild 340A	Owned	1984	34
VH-KDI	Saab 340A	Owned	1988	34
VH-KDK	Saab Fairchild 340A	Owned	1985	34
VH-KDQ	Saab 340B	Leased	1992	34
VH-KDV	Saab 340B	Leased	1992	34
VH-KEQ	Saab Fairchild 340A	Owned	1984	34
VH-KRX	Saab 340B	Leased	1992	34
VH-NRX	Saab 340B	Leased	1992	34
VH-OLL	Saab 340B	Owned	1989	36
VH-OLM	Saab 340B	Owned	1990	36
VH-OLN	Saab 340B	Owned	1990	36
VH-ORX	Saab 340B	Leased	1992	34
VH-PRX	Saab 340B	Leased	1992	34
VH-RXE	Saab 340B	Owned	1991	34
VH-RXN	Saab 340B	Owned	1991	34
VH-RXQ	Saab 340B	Owned	1990	33
VH-RXS	Saab 340B	Owned	1992	34
VH-RXX	Saab 340B	Owned	1990	34
VH-SBA	Saab 340B	Owned	1992	36
VH-TRX	Saab 340B	Owned	1992	34
VH-XRX	Saab 340B	Owned	1990	33
VH-YRX	Saab 340B	Owned	1990	33
VH-ZLA	Saab 340B Plus	Leased	1995	34
VH-ZLC	Saab 340B Plus	Leased	1995	34
VH-ZLF	Saab 340B Plus	Leased	1995	34
VH-ZLG	Saab 340B Plus	Leased	1995	34
VH-ZLH	Saab 340B Plus	Leased	1995	34
VH-ZLJ	Saab 340B Plus	Leased	1995	34
VH-ZLK	Saab 340B Plus	To be Delivered December 2007	1995	34
VH-ZLQ	Saab 340B Plus	Leased	1995	34
VH-ZLR	Saab 340B	Leased	1991	34
VH-ZLX	Saab 340B	Owned	1990	33
VH-ZLY	Saab Fairchild 340A	Owned	1985	36
VH-ZRX	Saab Fairchild 340A	Owned	1985	36

Pictures of the SAAB 340B Plus aircraft in the USA prior to delivery.

Picture of VH-ZLF - http://www.pbase.com/lexyky/image/75828379 Picture of VH-ZLG - http://www.superwombat.com/nash0607vhzlg.html

Rex has ordered 25 second-hand SAAB 340B Plus aircraft, which have extended wingtips (offered as an option on Saab 340B Plus aircraft) to increase flight performance and fuel efficiency. The first was originally scheduled to arrive in late 2006, however Rex took delivery of the first on April 30, 2007; it entered service on June 6th. By mid-December seven had been delivered, bringing the REX fleet to 38. The 340B Plus aircraft (which will have 34 blue leather seats) will be painted in the REX livery prior to delivery and are fitted with Hamilton Standard propellers instead of the Dowty Rotol units fitted to the existing fleet.

• Ansett Australia
• Kendell Airlines
• Hazelton Airlines

• Rex History

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