The AAOC will allow Rex the flexibility to expand its regional network without the need for CASA to approve each individual port.
Australia’s largest independent regional airline operates a fleet of more than 40 Saab 340 aircraft. The airline serves 52 destinations, with over 1,300 flights per week throughout New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland.
The airline’s newly awarded AAOC will cover the whole of Australia, and Rex Chief Operating Officer, Neville Howell said the AAOC is a reflection of the confidence that CASA has in Rex’s safety management systems:
“It clearly indicates that Rex is viewed by the regulator as a very mature and competent RPT operator. This is an important milestone for the Rex Group and we are very proud of the fact that we are the only independent regional airline in Australia that has been awarded an AAOC,” he said.
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.
“The AAOC authorises Rex to conduct an internal approval process for RPT services to the 16 new Queensland ports on the regulated routes that have recently been awarded to Rex by the Queensland State Government. We are very proud that we are now in a position to start operations on January 1, 2015, a mere eight weeks after being awarded the contract,” he added.
The airline was established in 2002 following a merger by Australiawide Airlines, of Hazelton Airlines and Kendell Airlines, and was renamed Regional Express Holdings in 2005.
“Rex would like to acknowledge the efforts of CASA who worked collaboratively with the Rex team in completing the AAOC application process within a short 8-week timeframe,” Neville Howell said.
In our analysis, below, we look more closely at the main points within the Rex network, based on official schedules under the ‘ZL’ flight code for December 2014. The major Australian cities of Sydney, Adelaide and Melbourne together account for 42.1 per cent of the airline’s total capacity with the route between Adelaide and Port Lincoln offering the most capacity with over 6,000 seats in each direction.
Data provided by 
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