REX AIRLINES Trading Halt
Joined: Oct 2007
Posts: 3,628
Likes: 1,183
From: Aus
So... For those Council's who are owed hundreds of thousands of dollars, that just gets written off now? What's the bet next time Air T-Rex owes more than $10,000 in landing fees, one of those one-bitten, twice-shy Council's parks a slasher and ute either end of a SAAB until their invoice is paid before it gets to the aforementioned debt level?
I just wonder if this opens the federal government up to a class action by all Rexs competitors to get similar subsidy for their operations to regional ports, I mean I would be chasing that if my competitor got random payments to aid their bottom line. It's no small sum for the other regional airlines.
Joined: Dec 2023
Posts: 1,150
Likes: 889
From: Oz
Project Mother has cost taxpayers a few hundred million, over time potentially half a billion.
Yet the Rex Management team are somewhat still around and seemed to be held in high regard by the new owner and the department. It’s disgraceful.
No accountability in this industry for anyone in senior management. Seen at Virgin, Qantas, Rex, and others. Some of these people should be in jail. Front line workers are often taken to the cleaners for such trivial matters yet we have management once again, inflicting significant damage yet no consequences. We have LKH now headed up NJE, Scurrah over at Fiji and Sharpie now at Air Services. Don’t even be me started on Massimo. This industry is such a joke.
Yet the Rex Management team are somewhat still around and seemed to be held in high regard by the new owner and the department. It’s disgraceful.
No accountability in this industry for anyone in senior management. Seen at Virgin, Qantas, Rex, and others. Some of these people should be in jail. Front line workers are often taken to the cleaners for such trivial matters yet we have management once again, inflicting significant damage yet no consequences. We have LKH now headed up NJE, Scurrah over at Fiji and Sharpie now at Air Services. Don’t even be me started on Massimo. This industry is such a joke.
Last edited by nomess; 11th November 2025 at 09:53.
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 258
Likes: 40
From: Perth
Looks like another SAAB air return to Parkes yesterday, and grounded there after, some troubles with starting or such earlier. Got airborne and then turned around and came back, might be engine related issues as well. Did it have problems and they tried to fly it back without engineering taking a look first? That stinks of poor decision making and pilots under pressure to make the schedule work, hope I'm wrong though.
Those Saabs need to be moved on at some stage.
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,535
Likes: 224
From: Sydney Australia
Considering the almost complete destruction of the business at the hands of the previous management, sorry the current and now future management, to say this thing will be an uphill battle is probably somewhat of an understatement.
Don’t be surprised if Air T are soon back to the Government, and the Australian taxpayer, holding the hand out for more and more cash just to keep this thing afloat.
Joined: Dec 2001
Aviation Qualifications: ATPL
Posts: 4,419
Likes: 853
From: Brisvegas
None have engines
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 258
Likes: 40
From: Perth
Im wondering just how long it’s going to take to get some 14 odd grounded aircraft back into service. Many have been extensively stripped. None have engines, and quite a few have significant corrosion, especially those out in the open at Adelaide. Then there’s the engineers, or shortage thereof? 14 more aircraft will also need around an additional 100 pilots and 50 FA’s.
Considering the almost complete destruction of the business at the hands of the previous management, sorry the current and now future management, to say this thing will be an uphill battle is probably somewhat of an understatement.
Don’t be surprised if Air T are soon back to the Government, and the Australian taxpayer, holding the hand out for more and more cash just to keep this thing afloat.
Considering the almost complete destruction of the business at the hands of the previous management, sorry the current and now future management, to say this thing will be an uphill battle is probably somewhat of an understatement.
Don’t be surprised if Air T are soon back to the Government, and the Australian taxpayer, holding the hand out for more and more cash just to keep this thing afloat.
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,535
Likes: 224
From: Sydney Australia
Not only did they shelve plans for the turboprop fleet replacement, but they actively (some might say criminally) neglected the regional operation to the point that it is now a corroded shell of what it once was.
Yep, these are the people that Air T, EY, and the Federal Government have entrusted to overseeing the rebuilding of REX.
Good luck with that!
Joined: Jul 2003
Posts: 3,381
Likes: 532
From: Somewhere
They did think about it mate. They were in discussions with ATR when along came Covid and the Administration of VA. Then some bright spark deduced that the “future” lay in a domestic jet operation, filling the void left by a soon to be liquidated Virgin.
Not only did they shelve plans for the turboprop fleet replacement, but they actively (some might say criminally) neglected the regional operation to the point that it is now a corroded shell of what it once was.
Yep, these are the people that Air T, EY, and the Federal Government have entrusted to overseeing the rebuilding of REX.
Not only did they shelve plans for the turboprop fleet replacement, but they actively (some might say criminally) neglected the regional operation to the point that it is now a corroded shell of what it once was.
Yep, these are the people that Air T, EY, and the Federal Government have entrusted to overseeing the rebuilding of REX.
The fact that the government got involved in this is a disgrace given the circumstances. Free tax payers money in covid. Then a bail out from the government once all that tax payers money was wasted.
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 2,444
Likes: 290
From: Australia
In Australia, our guvment will reopen the Government Aircraft Factory at Fishermen’s Bend and build the next generation SAAB340 for regional routes in this great country.
The aircraft will look a bit like a Nomad N24NG, however it will be environmentally friendly, net carbon zero emissions, run on sustainable biofuels, and build with good old union solidarity.
The first aircraft should be in limited service by 2050.
A guvment spokesperson said initial modelling showed that the aircraft could be used by the RFDS, RAAF and any third world country that we can sell them too.
The aircraft will look a bit like a Nomad N24NG, however it will be environmentally friendly, net carbon zero emissions, run on sustainable biofuels, and build with good old union solidarity.
The first aircraft should be in limited service by 2050.
A guvment spokesperson said initial modelling showed that the aircraft could be used by the RFDS, RAAF and any third world country that we can sell them too.
Joined: Nov 2010
Posts: 258
Likes: 40
From: Perth
They did think about it mate. They were in discussions with ATR when along came Covid and the Administration of VA. Then some bright spark deduced that the “future” lay in a domestic jet operation, filling the void left by a soon to be liquidated Virgin.
Not only did they shelve plans for the turboprop fleet replacement, but they actively (some might say criminally) neglected the regional operation to the point that it is now a corroded shell of what it once was.
Yep, these are the people that Air T, EY, and the Federal Government have entrusted to overseeing the rebuilding of REX.
Good luck with that!
Not only did they shelve plans for the turboprop fleet replacement, but they actively (some might say criminally) neglected the regional operation to the point that it is now a corroded shell of what it once was.
Yep, these are the people that Air T, EY, and the Federal Government have entrusted to overseeing the rebuilding of REX.
Good luck with that!
Joined: Jan 2006
Posts: 2,535
Likes: 224
From: Sydney Australia
Watching Metour Pilot on YouTube about the problems with the PW1100 engines on the A320/321/220.
While not directly relevant to the Rex saga, it did highlight an interesting fact regarding the repatriation of grounded airframes. Apparently it’s not economically viable to put many parted out aircraft back into the air, especially those airframes that have experienced long term parking exposed to the elements, and we’re talking about aircraft that in some cases are less than a decade old!
About 6 months ago at least one Rex engineer expressed doubt that any of the stripped and engineless SAAB’s would ever fly again. Against this backdrop it would seem that the fundamental requirement for Air T to put some 14 of these aircraft back into service may be wishful thinking at best.
I don’t know how this saga will play out, but as I’ve said previously, lots of things about this deal just don’t add up.
While not directly relevant to the Rex saga, it did highlight an interesting fact regarding the repatriation of grounded airframes. Apparently it’s not economically viable to put many parted out aircraft back into the air, especially those airframes that have experienced long term parking exposed to the elements, and we’re talking about aircraft that in some cases are less than a decade old!
About 6 months ago at least one Rex engineer expressed doubt that any of the stripped and engineless SAAB’s would ever fly again. Against this backdrop it would seem that the fundamental requirement for Air T to put some 14 of these aircraft back into service may be wishful thinking at best.
I don’t know how this saga will play out, but as I’ve said previously, lots of things about this deal just don’t add up.
Joined: Oct 2025
Aviation Qualifications: SLF
Posts: 17
Likes: 2
From: Brisbane
Watching Metour Pilot on YouTube about the problems with the PW1100 engines on the A320/321/220.
While not directly relevant to the Rex saga, it did highlight an interesting fact regarding the repatriation of grounded airframes. Apparently it’s not economically viable to put many parted out aircraft back into the air, especially those airframes that have experienced long term parking exposed to the elements, and we’re talking about aircraft that in some cases are less than a decade old!
About 6 months ago at least one Rex engineer expressed doubt that any of the stripped and engineless SAAB’s would ever fly again. Against this backdrop it would seem that the fundamental requirement for Air T to put some 14 of these aircraft back into service may be wishful thinking at best.
I don’t know how this saga will play out, but as I’ve said previously, lots of things about this deal just don’t add up.
While not directly relevant to the Rex saga, it did highlight an interesting fact regarding the repatriation of grounded airframes. Apparently it’s not economically viable to put many parted out aircraft back into the air, especially those airframes that have experienced long term parking exposed to the elements, and we’re talking about aircraft that in some cases are less than a decade old!
About 6 months ago at least one Rex engineer expressed doubt that any of the stripped and engineless SAAB’s would ever fly again. Against this backdrop it would seem that the fundamental requirement for Air T to put some 14 of these aircraft back into service may be wishful thinking at best.
I don’t know how this saga will play out, but as I’ve said previously, lots of things about this deal just don’t add up.