Rex Threatens to Pull Out of Burnie
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Rex Threatens to Pull Out of Burnie
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Screening may force Rex to end services | The Advocate
AN AIRLINE that services the North-West Coast has warned it would "certainly" be forced to scrap its regional operations if baggage screening - to be reviewed in the near future - was made compulsory.
And Regional Express Holdings has cited the recent lone wolf siege attack in the Sydney CBD highlight that "soft targets" such as cafes and offices were just as much a potential target for extremists.REX does not have baggage screening at the Burnie Airport.
The airline operates at 52 airports across five states and its passengers are only required to have their baggage screened at about 20 per cent of these airports, including four in capital cities, larger regional airports such as Cairns and Townsville, and airports where rival carriers are required to screen.
REX's group security manager, Derek Trafford, has warned a parliamentary committee Airport and Aviation Security Inquiry in Canberra that extra screening would jeopardise regional services.
"Regional Express strongly supports regulation that will ensure that screening is not introduced into airports where the threat assessment does not justify the introduction and where the cost will be prohibitive to the continued provision of essential regional air services," Mr Trafford recently submitted to the inquiry.
"In small regional and rural airports with low passenger numbers served by small aircraft, the screening cost would certainly mean that the community would lose its air services. The recent event at the Lindt cafe in Sydney demonstrates that no amount of security measures will be able to completely eliminate all risks of security incidents."It would be self defeating to implement security measures that are so cost prohibitive at regional airports as to actually kill off essential regional air services when the potential terrorist would just as easily achieve the desired outcome by targeting soft targets like a grocery store, a cafe or an office.
"Therefore all security measures should be a careful balance of the cost of such measures against the threat levels derived from intelligence sources."
Mr Trafford said that screening had been reviewed a number of times over the past decade "and will be reviewed again in the near future in a process involving all relevant parties".
"Due to the high cost of screening, about $1 million in annual operating costs, a significant amount of work has been undertaken to ensure that screening is operated in airports where the threat assessment warrants such a process."
A REX spokeswoman said REX passengers had their baggage screened at about 20 per cent of the airports the airline operated from.
She said the requirement for screening was based on the weight and size of the aircraft, and whether other rival airlines were required to screen at the same airport.
In its submission, REX noted that rising costs had forced more than a dozen regional airlines to collapse over the past decade.
"The continual rising costs to the industry has resulted in reduced passenger numbers on some routes due to the subsequent rise in ticket prices, which in turn has resulted in the demise of approximately 16 regional airlines in the last 10 years, with two operators ceasing operations in the last 12 months.
"There has been a discontinuation of regular air services to approximately 122 communities in the period 1984 to 2010, some of whom relied on air services for business and medical reasons.
Burnie Airport Corporation chair, Andrew Wardlaw, said the airport's security measures were set by national regulation.
"It is essential that the Government and aviation industry take an intelligence and risk-based approach to airport security and that this approach recognises the cost sensitive nature of the industry," Mr Wardlaw said.
Screening may force Rex to end services | The Advocate
AN AIRLINE that services the North-West Coast has warned it would "certainly" be forced to scrap its regional operations if baggage screening - to be reviewed in the near future - was made compulsory.
And Regional Express Holdings has cited the recent lone wolf siege attack in the Sydney CBD highlight that "soft targets" such as cafes and offices were just as much a potential target for extremists.REX does not have baggage screening at the Burnie Airport.
The airline operates at 52 airports across five states and its passengers are only required to have their baggage screened at about 20 per cent of these airports, including four in capital cities, larger regional airports such as Cairns and Townsville, and airports where rival carriers are required to screen.
REX's group security manager, Derek Trafford, has warned a parliamentary committee Airport and Aviation Security Inquiry in Canberra that extra screening would jeopardise regional services.
"Regional Express strongly supports regulation that will ensure that screening is not introduced into airports where the threat assessment does not justify the introduction and where the cost will be prohibitive to the continued provision of essential regional air services," Mr Trafford recently submitted to the inquiry.
"In small regional and rural airports with low passenger numbers served by small aircraft, the screening cost would certainly mean that the community would lose its air services. The recent event at the Lindt cafe in Sydney demonstrates that no amount of security measures will be able to completely eliminate all risks of security incidents."It would be self defeating to implement security measures that are so cost prohibitive at regional airports as to actually kill off essential regional air services when the potential terrorist would just as easily achieve the desired outcome by targeting soft targets like a grocery store, a cafe or an office.
"Therefore all security measures should be a careful balance of the cost of such measures against the threat levels derived from intelligence sources."
Mr Trafford said that screening had been reviewed a number of times over the past decade "and will be reviewed again in the near future in a process involving all relevant parties".
"Due to the high cost of screening, about $1 million in annual operating costs, a significant amount of work has been undertaken to ensure that screening is operated in airports where the threat assessment warrants such a process."
A REX spokeswoman said REX passengers had their baggage screened at about 20 per cent of the airports the airline operated from.
She said the requirement for screening was based on the weight and size of the aircraft, and whether other rival airlines were required to screen at the same airport.
In its submission, REX noted that rising costs had forced more than a dozen regional airlines to collapse over the past decade.
"The continual rising costs to the industry has resulted in reduced passenger numbers on some routes due to the subsequent rise in ticket prices, which in turn has resulted in the demise of approximately 16 regional airlines in the last 10 years, with two operators ceasing operations in the last 12 months.
"There has been a discontinuation of regular air services to approximately 122 communities in the period 1984 to 2010, some of whom relied on air services for business and medical reasons.
Burnie Airport Corporation chair, Andrew Wardlaw, said the airport's security measures were set by national regulation.
"It is essential that the Government and aviation industry take an intelligence and risk-based approach to airport security and that this approach recognises the cost sensitive nature of the industry," Mr Wardlaw said.
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Location: Devonport Tasmania Australia
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Not just out of Wynyard. Regional Australia.
Rex are good at posturing and threatening when possible negative changes are in the wind which is well and truly fair enough, BUT they are not afraid to carry through with it.
Being a delightfully profitable Airline involves chucking anything non producing and the Wynyard market has become increasingly low yield over the years as the large producers have disappeared.
As for Free Spirit, a partially painted aeroplane doth not a service make.
No mention or winding up of the local media since 23 October 2014. No local no brain aldermen pushing a "Rah Rah" campaign = bloody unlikely.
Hopefully they aren't toting for financial input. Magic beans would seem a better bet.
I bet Rex stay.
Best all
EWL
Rex are good at posturing and threatening when possible negative changes are in the wind which is well and truly fair enough, BUT they are not afraid to carry through with it.
Being a delightfully profitable Airline involves chucking anything non producing and the Wynyard market has become increasingly low yield over the years as the large producers have disappeared.
As for Free Spirit, a partially painted aeroplane doth not a service make.
No mention or winding up of the local media since 23 October 2014. No local no brain aldermen pushing a "Rah Rah" campaign = bloody unlikely.
Hopefully they aren't toting for financial input. Magic beans would seem a better bet.
I bet Rex stay.
Best all
EWL
