Rex has confirmed the withdrawal of services from the following five regional centres:

 Bathurst

 Grafton

 Lismore

 Kangaroo Island

 Ballina

Flights to these five centres will cease on June 30, coinciding with the end of the Federal Government’s Regional Airline Network Support (RANS) program, except for the Ballina route, which will terminate on July 2.

Two other NSW regional routes are pending further review.

Rex’s Deputy Chairman, the Hon John Sharp AM, said, “Rex has faithfully serviced most of these routes for 20 years and some of them for more than 30 years by Rex’s predecessor Kendell and Hazelton. So it is with a really heavy heart that we have to announce the cessation of services in an effort to improve Rex’s financial performance. Qantas’ well-publicised predatory actions on Rex’s regional routes have meant that Rex no longer has the ability to cross subsidise these marginal routes”.

“It is unfortunate that these regional communities are the collateral damage of Qantas’ bullying and heartless behaviour. This behaviour is all the more unconscionable after receiving over $2 billion in Federal bailouts over the past 2 years.”

Rex’s remaining regional network will be closely monitored, and further adjustments could be announced in the coming months.