Flying with a short-lived challenger to the Australian airline duopoly
With the end of Rex’s jet operations seeming all but inevitable thanks to the airline’s imminent appointment of administrators, I’ve decided to drag this trip report out of the drafts. Back in August 2023, Rex Airlines launched their first route to Tasmania with their new(-ish) fleet of Boeing 737-800s, and I had the opportunity to fly on the very first service!
| Flight Details | |
|---|---|
| Airline | Rex Airlines |
| Aircraft Type | Boeing 737-800 |
| Registration | VH-8KH |
| Route | Hobart to Melbourne Tullamarine |
| Flight Number | ZL710 |
| Date | 17/08/2023 |
In the midst of the pandemic, following the demise of Tigerair, and Virgin Australia’s near collapse, Regional Express, or Rex Airlines, attempted to capitalise on the perceived gap in the market by acquiring six former VA Boeing 737-800s, intending to fly them on capital city routes, a major deviation from their decades as an exclusively regional prop airline. Flights between the east coast capitals began in March 2021, with destinations like Adelaide, Canberra and the Gold Coast added later on.
Then, in June 2023, the airline announced their intentions to begin daily flights to Hobart, from Melbourne, on the 17th of August, enabled by the addition of further second-hand Boeing 737s to the fleet, from Samoa Airways and Singapore Airlines (with a final, 10th aircraft added from Brazilian LCC, GOL, in December 2023). With fares starting at just $79 one-way, I jumped at the opportunity to book on the inaugural flight and planned a short trip up to the mainland.
I arrived at the airport a few hours early to photograph the inbound inaugural from Melbourne, which to my surprise, received a water-cannon salute from the airport fire brigade, the first I had photographed! A quick dash down to the terminal later, and I headed in to check-in, only to find it was yet to open. A little over 90 minutes prior to departure, after setting up balloons, staff finally began checking in passengers, and I made my way through security and into the terminal. I spent the next hour watching Rex staff setting up a variety of first flight paraphernalia, including a fairly substantial arch, which proved to be a popular photo opportunity.
Boarding was called as scheduled, with cupcakes and tote bags of Rex branded merch handed out along the line. The bag included a bar of Tasmanian chocolate, a copy of Rex’s ‘Truly Aus’ magazine, and Rex branded USBs, a keyring torch, and cap, among other things. Upon boarding, the ten year old Boeing 737’s Singapore Airlines heritage was immediately evident, with the distinctively coloured seats and SilkAir bulkheads. I also found an A4 commemorative “Inaugural Flight Certificate” on every seat, Rex certainly spare no expense on the souvenirs!
We departed on time, taking off towards the south, with some excellent views, despite the overcast weather. The complimentary snack service began as we approached cruising altitude, consisting of drinks, soya chips and cookies, comparable to what you would have expected on Virgin Australia prior to their pivot to a more mid-market position.
The remainder of the flight was fairly smooth, and we began our descent into Tullamarine over the south-west for a slightly early arrival. Rex’s jet operations then shared the newly combined Terminal 3/4 precinct with Virgin Australia, Jetstar, and Bonza. We were thankfully allocated a gate with a jet bridge, just outside of Virgin’s T3 lounge. Having realised we were on the same flight after boarding, I had the chance to catch up with the excellent Chris Mills after arrival, and I can’t recommend his Instagram and YouTube enough for some fantastic travel content.
While I can’t comment on the economics of Rex’s move to compete with the Qantas/Virgin duopoly on east coast capital city routes, it will be a shame to see them go. I found their service to be pretty excellent for the price point, and ended up flying them again from Melbourne to Hobart in January 2024, although that was on the inarguably less comfortable ex-GOL frame, VH-8ZL.
I hope this timely dive into my drafts has been an enjoyable read, and while I’m not sure when I’ll have another trip report ready to publish, I can guarantee my Instagram followers will be the first to know, so please chuck me a follow using the link at the bottom of the page!