Troubled airline to brief media on schedule failures.
AMID speculation Regional Express is failing to meet schedules and unable to retain pilots, the embattled airline will hold a press conference in Sydney this
morning. Rex has shutdown its West Wyalong service, cut four flights a day between Wagga and Sydney, abandoned the Cooma to Sydney route and cancelled a regional Queensland route just one month after the service was launched.
The company is citing pilot and staff shortages as the reasons behind all the cancellations. Adding to the company's woes was Sunday night's unscheduled landing in Wagga of an Albury flight that was destined for
Sydney. About half an hour into the flight, the Saab was forced to land with engine problems and 34 passengers were forced to catch a bus the rest of the way to Sydney.
On Friday, a regional flight from Sydney to Mudgee was cancelled, and after a two-hour delay, passengers were diverted onto a Dubbo flight, where a
plane would take them the rest of the way to Mudgee.
Rex is expected to discuss pilot shortages, flight suspensions, a pilot cadet scheme and a new pilot training academy at today's press conference.