Rex will cease services between Sydney and Canberra from next Monday (30 May).
Rex launched Sydney-Canberra services in April last year, as part of an expansion of the airline’s regional and domestic network.
“We are proud to have brought much needed competition to the Sydney-Canberra route and airfares have never been cheaper,” Rex Deputy Chairman, the Hon John Sharp AM, said. “Unfortunately with the entrance of an additional operator and the very high charges imposed by Sydney Airport from 1 June 2022 mean that the route is no longer viable for Rex. The resources will be diverted to other routes which will provide a better return,” he added.
The last Rex Sydney-Canberra flight will operate on Sunday, 29 May, which will also mark the end of the airline’s services between Albury and Melbourne. Impacted passengers will be offered free of charge rerouting or a refund.
The “additional operator” refers to Qantas, which introduces more domestic routes this week offering routes between Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Adelaide, Canberra and Brisbane into more than 20 regional destinations including Uluru, Coffs Harbour, Broken Hill, Merimbula, Mildura, Newcastle, Orange, Tamworth, Mount Gambier, Burnie, Sunshine Coast and Townsville. Seats on these flights can also be purchased with points or cash.
Qantas Loyalty CEO Olivia Wirth said flights remain frequent flyers’ favourite way to use their points.
“We’ve seen a huge increase in demand for regional travel since the start of the pandemic and these Points Planes will help tens of thousands of frequent flyers discover regional Australia this winter,” Wirth said.
“These Points Planes will help boost tourism right across the country during August and make it easier for residents in these regional towns to get away for a city escape.
“Qantas’ regional network plays an important role in supporting local economies and this investment in domestic Points Planes will continue to drive visitation and support travel demand.”