If they had an Albany base it would be a good gig. Living on the coast cheaper housing etc.

Krusty, although the ATRs are transitioning to mainline's AOC all the pilots are still employed under the new VARA EBA. What this means for the pilot body is unknown at this stage but hopefully it will be spared any redundancies.
As for Skywest's "collapse" it's worth noting the company made a net profit $7.5m in '09-10, $7.7m in '10-11 and $5.5m for '11-12, I'm not aware of any profit/loss figures for '12-13 prior to the Virgin buy out in April 2013. Are you privy to some very confidential information or just relying on rumours?
Apologies for the thread drift, best of luck to REX and I hope it works out well for their crew.

One of the big issues out of Albany was that pax, (80% of whom were business or government), were scrambling to make it to a Perth meeting by 1000 with a planned ETD Albany of 0755. SkyWest proved impervious to requests to position an F50 overnight so it could depart Albany and be in Perth by 0800.
Despite there being an ILS on rwy 14, there were many aborts with the arrival at around 0720. We see a fair bit of fog here.

Fares have been the other issue. Aircraft often leave here with dozens of empty seats, yet there are often only 2 or 3 discounted seats on any one flight. This has been a very sore point. Albany has many thousands of pensioners and other retirees who are price sensitive. Very few tourists fly into here because of price in the 1st instance.

I understand that the City of Albany, and other respondents, have left REX in no doubt about why this city was unhappy with the incumbent RPT performance. Reportedly, they have been offered a deal to base ex Albany.

My understanding is that the proposal is for 25 flights per week. There is plenty of scope to grow the service, but not if fares begin at higher than what they have been. (Albany has 33,000 population).

It will be interesting. happy days,

IMHO it would be crazy to have a base in Albany and/or Esperance. Having said that it is essential to have crew overnighting Sunday to Friday in both these ports to provide the services to Perth that Poteroo alludes to. These would potentially minimise the weather risks that he has also instances.

What other flights fill in the schedule to provide the number of seats required while optimising crew and aircraft would need a bit of thought. I would have thought that a reasonable schedule to the two ports could be done with three aircraft (to provide some redundancy even four to take the pressure off - after all SF340's are not that expensive). ADL to PLO and ADL to WHA minus a few flights would provide a reasonable model.

But what would I know lol.

It's a Perth Base!
 

No Albany base or Esperance base guys.

It will be Perth, not sure where that was drawn from?

13 NOVEMBER 2015


MEDIA RELEASE

REX SELECTED AS PREFERRED TENDERER FOR WA ROUTES


The Western Australian (WA) Government has today announced Regional Express (Rex) as the preferred tenderer for the Perth-Albany and Perth-Esperance routes.

The announcement follows an extensive review and competitive tender process by the WA Government of regulated Regular Public Transport air services in the state. Subject to final negotiations, Rex will enter into a contract with the Department of Transport to operate the routes for the next five-year licence period commencing 28 February 2016.

Rex will release further information only when the contract is finalised.

Regional Express (Rex) is Australia’s largest independent regional airline operating a fleet of more than 40 Saab 340 aircraft on some 1,400 weekly flights to 54 destinations throughout New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland. The Rex Group comprises Regional Express, air freight and charter operator Pel-Air Aviation and Dubbo-based regional airline Air Link, as well as the pilot academy Australian Airline Pilot Academy.

Rex Media Contact: Corporate Communications – +61 402 438 361

Poor punters in ABA and ESP won't know what hit them when they go a long way backwards from a Fifty to a 340!

Punters will be very happy if:

(1) there are less 'technicals'
(2) there is increased frequency
(3) there is an early flight to Perth and a late one back
(4) the fares are half reasonable.

happy days,

1. There won't be.
2. There will obviously have to be as the capacity is heavily reduced
3. Who can say?
4. For sure REX is not for profit after all...

Big step backwards for WA.

25 per week..... Dreaming
 

Have a read of the state released report on RPT flying on protected routes within WA. Easily found via Google

If Rex do 25 flights a week il be shocked. In my opinion it will see them out of WA quicker than they got here.....

The numbers ex ALB simply do not support it. VARA were struggling with 15... The problem on that route is the expectation from the community vs the cost to provide such services are both way out of proportion.
Simply not enough pax numbers ex ALB to have more than a daily service at present... Maybe the SAAB could add the odd double daily in there.

A big shift in everything is required on that route to see it prosper for the community and for any hope of tourism boost from all components :ok:

Haha, bingo! :}

At least the punters will get aviators though.

P.S. I thought we had a "regional airline" over here with 30 seaters.

Gidday Goanna01.

Looks like you're in possession of all the data, except the one that counts!

No "very confidential information" I'm afraid. Check those figures you admit you don't have. All public, no conspiracy theories, if memory serves Virgin even made an announcement at the time.

All academic of course, but it wouldn't be the first time a profitable (albeit moderately so) aviation business has been lured to its demise by the promise of big things!

Whats REX put a SAAB out for ?
 

Hey KRUSTY 34 Guru

What would REX put a 340 out on the ramp for p/hr man :confused:

Those GE's would have to burn fuel & oil as much as a thirsty PW > not to mention the expensive overhauls < we would roughly suggest $3200 - $3900 :ugh: :ugh: :ugh:

Duty,

Not sure about maintenance costs, but I know from talking with a friend on the q300, those machines are burning double the fuel burn of the Saab. Can't say if they were accurate figures given to me, but I would assume so given the person flies them everyday.

Buggered if I know guys, I just drive the bloody things!

But seriously, they burn around average 630 litres an hour (as little as 550 at cruise altitude), and TAS anywhere between 260-280 depending on the day.

K

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-1...ticism/6953292

Interesting many staff being laid off for a service they don't currently operate. I also note the State Government extended Skippers contract on the Goldfields route until the 27th of June 2016, maybe that is to see how Rex go.

The Q300 does indeed burn pretty close to twice the Saab – if you're counting the Saab's burn in litres and the Q in pounds.

Great news for us in Perth only means opportunity

3 additional SAAB 340B
 

REX is adding 3 further aircraft to it's fleet to service WA.

At least one or two is being sourced from Silver Airways in the US.

Rex plans frequency boost to Albany and Esperance
 

"The airline published schedules for its first two routes in WA on Wednesday, which showed Rex planned to offer four flights a day on the Albany-Perth route on weekdays, and three flights over the weekend for a weekly total of 23. This was up from 13 weekday flights and two weekend services from VARA under the current contract.

And Rex will have three flights a day on weekdays between Esperance and Perth, with a further three on the weekend lifting the weekly total to 18. VARA offered two flights a day during the week and three over the weekend.

WA Transport Minister Dean Nalder said the new schedule represented 53 per cent increase in weekly flights to Albany and 38 per cent boost for Esperance."

Rex plans frequency boost to Albany and Esperance | Australian Aviation

Any chance for someone with 2500hours on single and multi with instructing experience?

Would very much like to apply for it!
cheers!