Australian based Airline, Regional Express Ltd (Rex) Today signed provisional deals with two lessors for six Boeing B737 Airplanes, after receiving funding from PAG Asia Capital as part of its plan to expand beyond regional flights to launch jet services between major Australian cities.
John Sharp, Rex Deputy Chairman, said the airline planned for three of the jets to be deployed on the Sydney-Melbourne route from March, with another two entering service by Easter.
Three of the jets will be deployed on the Sydney-Melbourne route on March 1, 2021, While Rex hopes to boost its 737 NG fleet by an additional four by the end of 2021 at the same time.
According to Rex, the airline will receive its first 737 NG aircraft on November 1, 2020, while the five remaining leased jets will arrive over the following four months until February.
“From there, Rex will continue to grow the domestic fleet in line with the return of passenger demand and hopes to see its fleet of 737-800 NGs to reach 10 by year end,” he said.
It would be a major expansion for Rex, which currently operates on less competitive regional routes like Sydney to Wagga Wagga and Adelaide to Port Lincoln using a fleet of ageing Saab 340 turboprops with 30 to 36 seats.