LONDON – On May 2, it has been announced that the Australian carrier REX, also known as Regional Express, signed an LOI (Letter of Intent) with American carrier Delta Air Lines to enter into a new commercial agreement partnership.
The Partnership
Once this new agreement has been finalized, it will see both Delta and REX providing reciprocal interline ticketing and baggage services between each of the carriers from Q3 2022.
The new agreement will enable passengers to connect from REX flights to Delta’s daily, non-stop services between Sydney Airport (SYD) and Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) and onwards to 50 other U.S. cities.
However, regarding Delta’s Sydney to Los Angeles route, this is set to increase to 10 flights per week from December 18, 2022.
Commenting on the new agreement, REX’s Deputy Chairman, the Hon John Sharp AM has said, “This is a milestone moment for REX and our passengers. REX is delighted to forge a partnership with America’s most awarded airline. Our tie-up with Delta will help boost the post-COVID return of long-haul international travel.”
Sharp continued, “Delta will not only connect international travelers on REX’s trunk domestic routes but could also allow them easy access to REX’s expansive network of over 60 routes throughout regional Australia.”
Also adding to REX’s statement, Delta Air Lines’ Vice President of Alliance Partner Development, Jeff Arinder says, “REX will be a valued partner that will bring additional connectivity and geographic reach to both airlines. We look forward to welcoming more customers to our flights from Sydney to the U.S. and providing a world-class customer experience on-air and on the ground.”
In line with both comments from either airline, it is evident that Australia is preparing itself for a full recovery from the pandemic on its long-haul services, with the recent re-introduction of Qantas’ Airbus A380s to now this new partnership between REX and Delta, we will be seeing Australia put back on the long-haul list for many passengers and businesses.
Who is REX?
REX or Regional Express on regional routes within Australia is based out of Mascot, New South Wales in Australia, and has been around since August 2002 (20 years).
They primarily operate regional and domestic scheduled services within Australia; however, they do also operate a division in handling a small amount of air cargo within the belly of their aircraft as well as charter services throughout Australia.
Their scheduled services include all states within Australia to a total of 62 different destinations throughout the continent.
The airline started off with seven Fairchild Swearingen Metroliner 23’s that it had inherited from Kendell Airlines which had merged with Hazelton Airlines to form Regional Express.
The carrier has since gone on to operate a fleet of currently 66 aircraft, broken down into 60 Saab 340’s that it primarily operators on its short regional services, and six Boeing 737-800NGs (Next Generation) that it uses on its longer domestic services. The carrier is due to a further four Boeing 737-800NGs for a total of 10 of the type.
On top of all this, REX is a part of the REX Group that consists of wholly-owned subsidiaries Pel-Air Aviation which handles air cargo, charter services, and aeromedical services.
They also operate two different pilot academies, the Australian Airline Pilot Academies in Wagga Wagga and Ballarat.
