Rex allowed to coordinate with Qantas on regional routes

[Mattg]

The ACCC today extended authorisation for Rex to coordinate with Qantas on selected regional routes where both airlines operate until 30 June 2021. (They can also cooperate with Virgin, if they also serve the route).

This allows them to coordinate on flight schedules to ensure the relevant communities continue to receive reliable air service during covid. A condition of the proposed authorisation is that airfares cannot be higher than those on 1 February 2020.

These are the affected routes:

New South Wales

• Sydney – Wagga (Rex and Qantas)
• Sydney – Dubbo (Rex and Qantas)
• Sydney – Albury (Rex, Qantas and Virgin Australia, noting Virgin Australia has suspended services on this route)
• Sydney – Armidale (Rex and Qantas, noting Rex has suspended services on this route)

Victoria

• Melbourne – Mildura (Rex, Qantas and Virgin Australia, noting Virgin Australia has suspended services on this route)

South Australia

• Adelaide – Port Lincoln (Rex and Qantas)
• Adelaide – Whyalla (Rex and Qantas)
• Adelaide – Kangaroo Island (Rex and Qantas, Rex had announced an exit from this route in July 2020, but is currently still servicing it)

Queensland

• Cairns –Townsville (Rex and Qantas)
• Townville – Mount Isa (Rex and Qantas).

ACCC proposes to continue to allow airlines to cooperate on regional routes

Regional Express Pty Ltd (Rex) will be allowed to continue to coordinate flight schedules with Qantas and Virgin Australia on 10 regional routes (the relevant routes) in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, under an ACCC proposed authorisation released today.

www.accc.gov.au