Sunday 9 August 2020

REX Regional Express airline announces reinstatement of passenger service to Grafton NSW - accompanied by a thinly veiled threat aimed at the people of the Clarence Valley


Rex Regional Express Airlines, media release excerpts, 6 August 2020:

Rex to Resume Flights to Grafton

Regional Express (Rex) announces today that it will resume flights to Grafton with effect from Monday, August 17, 2020.

Rex notified the Clarence Valley Council of the withdrawal of services on June 4 2020,….

Upon the intervention of the Member for Page, Mr Kevin Hogan, Rex accepted the apologies of the council and accepted Mr Hogan’s assurance that the remarks of the said councillor were condemned by the vast majority of the community.

Rex will operate return services three days a week, on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.

Rex Deputy Chairman, the Hon John Sharp AM, said, “Although Rex has always taken the view that elected representatives speak on behalf of the community, Rex is giving the benefit of the doubt to the community of Grafton and is accepting at face value the assurance from the Federal Member for Page. Rex will be watching the developments at Grafton closely.”

Mr Hogan said, “I am extremely pleased that Rex have reconsidered and are now reinstating this important service for our community.”

I have continued to work with Rex, Clarence Valley Council and the Deputy Prime Minister to resolve this issue.”

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Development Michael McCormack said the resumption of REX flights to Grafton was a step in the right direction for the industry….

The reintroduction of the flight from Sydney to Grafton is a great step forward for the region to reboot the economy in what has been a difficult year for everyone.”

Clarence Valley Council Mayor Jim Simmons welcomed the announcement and restated the importance of this service.

I would like to personally thank Kevin Hogan for continuing to advocate for this important community service,” Cr Simmons said.

Flights into Grafton are vitally important for our local economy and connects our region to major population centres.
[my yellow highlighting]

When Rex commences flying into Grafton Airport again it will have been absent from the Clarence Valley for 39 days since 3 July.

Coincidentally Rex's re-entry follows on the heels of media reports that Clarence Valley Council had begun looking for another airline to take its place.

It certainly hasn't escaped North Coast Voices' notice that REX shares stopped climbing in July and the volume of shares traded also fell.

Perhaps this airline's bully boy tactics have not instilled confidence in the market place. Just as going straight to the Murdoch media by way of email copy to The Daily Examiner before Clarence Valley Council had time to consider the email's contents failed to impress more than a few people in the Clarence Valley.

ASX Chart, 8 August 2020
  

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