Regional Express, the collapsed ASX-listed domestic carrier, stole four planes from an aircraft graveyard in the Arizona desert, stripping them for parts and selling the rest, an American aircraft leasing and maintenance company has alleged.

The lawsuit, filed by Jet Midwest in the Supreme Court of NSW, adds a twist to the company’s tortured demise. The airline, known as Rex, called in administrators on July 30 amid an all-out war between its board, led by former Howard government minister John Sharp, and its biggest shareholder, businessman Lim Kim Hai.