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.
