Australia's Rex signs deals to lease six 737 planes for planned Sydney - Melbourne route

Regional Express said Wednesday it had signed provisional deals with two lessors for six Boeing 737 planes as part of its plan to expand beyond regional flights to launch jet services between major Australian cities. The flights would compete against those offered by the country's dominant airlines, Qantas and Virgin Australia, from March 1, 2021 at a time when they are struggling financially due to the COVID-19 pandemic Rex Deputy Chairman John Sharp said the airline planned for three of the jets to be deployed on the Sydney-Melbourne route from March, with another two entering service by Easter. “From there, Rex will continue to grow the domestic fleet in line with the return of passenger demand and hopes to see its fleet of 737-800 NGs to reach 10 by year end,” he said.<br/>