AIRLINE SHUTDOWN: ‘Balonne has lost its vital link’

Regional Express Airlines has announced it will shut down all Queensland services, leaving St George without an air travel option.

Regional Express has cancelled all Queensland flights, as it becomes the latest victim of coronavirus travel bans. (AAP/Emma Brasier)

ST GEORGE has been left high and dry, without its vital link to the medical services in the city, following the announcement that Regional Express Airlines will shut down all Queensland operations from April 1.

The airline runs Regional Public Transport (RPT) services to 25 destinations in Queensland, including St George, Cunnamulla, and Thargomindah on its Western 1 route.

For locals in St George, the loss of their only air link to the city is a blow, and Balonne Shire Council CEO Matthew Magin is concerned the region will only become more isolated.

“The Balonne Shire Council is shocked that Regional Express (Rex) has decided to shut down its Queensland airline service which comes to the region twice weekly.

“Rex is our only passenger air service and is highly used and valued, providing a vital link for people movement as well as urgent freight.

“People needing to fly out for medical treatment, businesses bringing in external consultants and contractors, as well as students attending boarding school will all be negatively impacted.

“This effectively cuts us off from quick and easy access to the rest of the country and intensifies the geographical isolation we face daily.”

The loss of a service is salt in the wound for the Balonne Shire, which has been working to make major improvements to their small airport, in a bid to attract more flights to St George.

“We have extensive plans for the redevelopment of the St George Aerodrome which we hoped would see Rex increasing flights to the region and that improved connectivity would drive investment into our region.”

“If Rex closes now the biggest concern is that the void it leaves may never be replaced.”

From tomorrow, Regional Express will be shutting down all of its Queensland routes, which service 25 destinations, despite pleading with governments for assistance.

In a statement, the company said it was blindsided by the unexpected event of the coronavirus pandemic, and the massive drop in passengers as a result.

“Rex first requested consideration from the Queensland Government on 19 March 2020 and

has since then made numerous appeals,” the statement read.

“In the meantime, Rex’s financial position and cash flow has seen a further sharp degradation due to the spectacular drop of patronage arising from travel being limited to essential travel only, as well as the border control measures being implemented across Australia.

“While the Federal Government has announced several assistance packages for airlines, no

concrete details have been forthcoming and more importantly, not a single cent has been

disbursed.

“Further, the Federal Government is only funding a minimum essential service of

one return weekly flight per route, and this reduced schedule approach was rejected by the

Queensland State Government.

“With cash fast running out and no immediate prospect of a workable solution from the

Queensland State Government, Rex has no choice but to declare a Force Majeure event for

the Contract and suspend all services on Queensland regulated routes indefinitely until it has

the ability to service the contract in a commercially viable manner.”

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