Rex takes fight to Qantas and Virgin [Jets for REX?]

[Brenden S]

It should be here within the next week arriving at Wagga for a repaint.

[Steve S... 2]

That has me thinking, since Wagga is the Rex base I wonder if one day/eventually we may see a jet service out of Wagga.

[MarkR]

Originally Posted by Steve S... 2

That has me thinking, since Wagga is the Rex base I wonder if one day/eventually we may see a jet service out of Wagga.

Return of a jet service!

[Robert.M]

Originally Posted by Brenden S

It should be here within the next week arriving at Wagga for a repaint.

When A97-467 departs, it should arrive in a couple of days.

Originally Posted by Steve S... 2

That has me thinking, since Wagga is the Rex base I wonder if one day/eventually we may see a jet service out of Wagga.

I'd say unlikely, Wagga Wagga City Council has a weight limit. So much so fully loaded C130Js cannot land here. We did have a two Hercs here yesterday taking personal (around 100 personal in each + bags) back home to QLD. I would expect REX to setup a 737 base in Sydney, Melbourne or Brisbane. I did see a big blue tug at the REX hangar in Sydney the other day.

Cannot find the document that gives the MTOW and MLW.

From the 2010 Airport Master Plan

Runway 05/23 is asphalt surfaced, 1,768 metres long, 45 metres wide and has a pavement classification number (PCN) of 20/F/C/1400/T, which is suitable for a typical 50-70 seat regional jet or turboprop aircraft. A pavement concession is required for the occasional RAAF C130 operations.

The 05/23 runway strip is marked at 1,888 metres long and 150 metres wide and is suitable for non-precision instrument approach operations by aircraft up to Code 4C, subject to landing minima adjustments. The current standard for a Code 3 45 metre wide non-precision approach runway strip is 300 metres. Strip width is taken into account in determining the instrument approach landing minima, which means some improvement in poor weather runway utilisation is possible by adopting the full runway width standard. The location of Taxiway A has obviously been chosen with a full width runway strip in mind but its full implementation would require additional acquisition at the north-east boundary of the airport

Defence has previously advised that it has an ongoing requirement for the Runway 05/23 strip to be a minimum of 230 metres wide.

and the apron

The terminal is served by a sealed RPT apron measuring approximately 200 metres by 100 metres. The apron has been expanded several times in the past, at various dates, resulting in a patchwork of surface textures, ages and qualities. Pavement failures, especially in the older, southwestern corner towards the Mobil fuel facility, are extensive as a result of overloading by Dash 8-300 aircraft. This area is scheduled for resurfacing during the current financial year.

The RPT apron is presently marked to accommodate up to four Saab 340 aircraft (on Bays 1-4) or one Saab 340 (on Bay 1) plus 3 Bombardier Dash 8-300 aircraft (on Bays 2-4). In addition there is one existing position for a C-130 (Bay 6) and one position for a Beech King Air (Bay 5). Concurrent with the resurfacing works, the apron will be re-marked to accommodate up to five aircraft of up to Q400 size (on Bays 1-5) in addition to the C-130 (on Bay 6).

Even without the runway and apron weight restrictions (bay 4 had issues with the Q400, even after the resurfacing), the only bay it can park in is 6. As the two RAAF 737 BBJ have been in Wagga on one occasion, which required one to park across bays 3 and 4 to be able to turn and taxi.

[Brenden S]

The base will be Sydney, the Rex hangar and the Air Ambulance hangar are being demolished and a large hangar capable of housing a 737-800 is being built. It will still be used by the Air Ambulance team and the Saab 340's

[Anthony Collins]

Is there confirmation of what registrations are allocated to REX?

[MarkR]

Originally Posted by Anthony Collins

Is there confirmation of what registrations are allocated to REX?

None yet, some speculation VH-VUF will be the first by AA

[Anthony Collins]

Originally Posted by MarkR

None yet, some speculation VH-VUF will be the first by AA

Could be. https://australianaviation.com.au/20...7-goes-to-rex/

[Greg Hyde]

Rex ready to battle Qantas, Virgin on Sydney-Melbourne

Regional Express will dedicate its first six Boeing 737 jets to the Sydney-Melbourne route from March 2021, before growing its fleet and capital city network from the second half of the year.

It’s a brazenly ambitious assault on Australia’s hyper-competitive corridor – the industry’s crown jewel for corporate and leisure travel – which will put Rex against muscle-bound incumbent Qantas and a streamlined Virgin Australia.

The first of six Boeing 737s – all previously leased to Virgin Australia – is now being readied for delivery to Rex’s Sydney base, where it will be used for ground training as well as venturing into the sky for proving flights (still in a de-branded white livery) in early December.

At least three jets – one of them said to the airline’s nominal flagship, bearing the registration VH-REX, which is currently assigned to a Saab 340B – will take part in the March 1 launch of Sydney-Melbourne flights, with three more now slated to be in place by early April.

Those six Boeing 737s all date from the Virgin Blue era and carry an average age of 11.5 years, predating the release of the later Virgin Australia aircraft featuring the modern 'Boeing Sky Interior'.
'Virgin not in our cross-hairs'

Executive Traveller understands these ex-Virgin jets will largely be flown by ex-Virgin pilots, backed by ex-Virgin attendants and ex-Virgin engineers.

Even Rex’s internal Project Mother codename for its capital city push was a nod to the Brisbane-based challenger, because “Mother is the opposite of Virgin” chuckles Rex deputy chairman John Sharp.

All the same, Sharp insists that Rex doesn’t have specifically Virgin Australia in its cross-hairs.

more

https://www.executivetraveller.com/n...elbourne-route

[Sean L]

Apparently VH-VUF will become VH-REX.