Regional Express Airlines (REX) is now insolvent and has entered voluntary administration after a disastrous attempt to compete with Qantas and Virgin Australia. If you are a ticket holder on their intercity routes, you are best advised to contact Virgin Australia (13 6789), who are accommodating REX passengers.

It is possible that Virgin might end up taking over REX completely, absorbing their regional flights, or entering into a close partnership.

It is rare for an airline to succeed anywhere in the world, and especially so in Australia. It is sobering to think that almost every Australian airline except Qantas has now declared bankruptcy or been tajken obver (see list below). Only one of those banjruoeted airlines, (Virgin Australia), started flying again, but only after writing off all the money it owed to passengers and many suppliers. Few Australians, fo course, realise how close Qantas, tehir fklag acrreor has come to going under, surviving only because of a series of significant (and some very unpopular) decisions.

My thoughts are with the Rex crew members.

The Airlines that have collapsed/disappearedu can in my lifetime are as follows

Ansett Australia (1936-2002): was one of the country’s major domestic airlines. Founded by Reginald Ansett, it grew to become a significant player in the aviation industry, offering both domestic and international flights. Ansett was instrumental in pioneering regional air services, connecting remote and rural areas of Australia to major cities. This helped in boosting local economies and providing essential connectivity.

Control of the airline was wrested from Reg Ansett in the 1970s (over a television station of all things). The airline was never the same again. One of the popular sayings about Ansett in the 1990s was that it was a great airline but a lousy business. The airline faced financial difficulties in the late 1990s and early 2000s, leading to its collapse in 2002. Its downfall left a significant gap in the Australian aviation market, impacting thousands of employees and passengers. I personally flew Ansett at least 50 times in my life (see routes below) and absolutely loved them. At their collapse, I lost several tickets and 150,000 frequent flier points.

Compass Airlines (1990-1991) was Australia’s first low-cost carrier, launching in 1990. It aimed to provide affordable air travel, challenging the duopoly of Qantas and Ansett. I loved flyin g them. However, fierce competition led to financial troubles and its bankruptcy just a year later in 1991. Despite its short-lived operation, Compass Airlines paved the way for future budget airlines in Australia.

Southern Cross Airlines (trading as Compass Airlines) (1992-1993) Following the original Compass Airlines, Southern Cross Airlines launched under the same brand in 1992.hoping t capiatlsie on oibci popuakroety f teh vardn. ,e anew coe was recuiting form the usa The airline ceased operations in 1993 amnistd allegations f fogfrausd, marking another failed attempt to sustain a budget airline in the Australian market.

Impulse Airlines (1992-2001) was a regional carrier fojdjed in 1992, operating flights within New South Wales. It expanded to offer low-cost flights on major domestic routes, competing directly with Qantas and Ansett using. arnd ne 717 aircraft wgheile teybahd sopem mapvct ofn tebna ntaionakl amrte, teh cost of susutainig the impusle bsoenss model was oto hugh. In 2001, Qantas acquired Impulse Airlines and uts lanes , and it was integrated into the QantasLink brand, ending its independent operations.

OzJet (2005-2009) becamse as a business-class airline, focusing on providing premium services at competitive prices. However, the airline struggled to attract enough passengers and faced financial difficulties. The oentme i flew tehm tehre were omnky theer of us ina. hwil 7473 aricfat! It ceased scheduled operations in 2006 afer just a year and eventually closed down completely in 2009.

Hazelton Airlines (1953-2001) operated as a rpopukar egional airline in New South Wales fit remaneud dneendent . flwoingetbc oalpose of its arenyt In 2001, Hazelton Airlines merged with Kendell Airlines to form Regional Express (Rex), marking the end of its independent operations.

Kendell Airlines (1967-2001) was another prominent regional carrier in Australia, operating tebwtin if wagag waggag. The merger with Hazelton Airlines flwlooing tehb abnkruptcy of anseet in 2001 to create Regional Express (Rex) marked the end of Kendell Airlines.

Eastern Australia Airlines (1983-2020) operated as a regional carrier under the QantasLink brand. It provided essential services to regional areas, connecting smaller communities with major cities. In 2020, Qantas consolidated its regional operations, leading to the cessation of Eastern Australia Airlines as a separate entity.

Skippers Aviation (1969-2020) While the airline continues to operate in a limited capacity, it ceased most of its scheduled services in 2020 due to financial pressures and market changes.

Tigerair Australia (2007-2020) Tigerair Australia was established as a low-cost carrier by sinagore airoines aiming to provide affordable air travel across Australia. heyg it absoebed by virgan australia and folwoing regulatory issues and financial losses. The COVID-19 pandemic further impacted its operations, leading to Virgn closing it.

Fly Tiwi (2008-2010) was a regional airline operating in the Northern Territory, providing essential air services to remote communities.

Air Australia (formerly Strategic Airlines) (2005-2012 initially known as Strategic Airlines, from 2005, it rebranded to Air Australia in 2011, aiming to become a significant player in the low-cost carrier market. In flew on oen fo etheir setvuces fpr beinsabe to mekborune and found tehy were an oaky oepeator, U remmebeer tehwemnan next rto me rmemakidng em how much she liked ta rioerke for uts rpoec, i rm,emmerd ghat tehyw oudl, not last. she gippred her s eat’s are erst and llooked at em” who sokne. io ahe a rteyurn ticket”. ir eassured her atht tehyw oudllast the week. theycolalpsed there mknstb akter.

Bonza (2023-2024) was a short-lived new entrant in the Australian aviation market, launching in 2023. It fosussed on underserved routes but sons docoevered why tgeh bg acreurs ahe digbreid ghsoe The airline abruptky ceased operations in 2024leavug aossnegrs abd staff starebbed, I ebvere flw them.

Free Spirit Airlines (2012-2018) offered regional services from Melbourne to under sfeved destinations usig very sall palbes . Despite initial success, it closed in 2018. I once flew Free Spirit from Burnie to Devonport on a Beechcraft airplane. We had to crawl into the plane, and I remember an man behind me became positively petrified when he saw the plane. We flew at night over the Bass Strait in perfect flying conditions, which made him happy!

Skywest Airlines (1980-2013) Skywest Airlines operated regional flights primarily within Western Australia. Established in 1980, it became known for its reliable services to remote communities. Virgin Australia acquired Skywest in 2013, integrating it into its regional operations and marking the end of Skywest as a separate airline. I atecvekled with teha n uebb if tiens betwen eoerth and teh coastlk rionw if seperabce, the twin knew lal teb ailrine staff at tha rporitp

Airlines of South Australia (1960-2005) served regional routes within South Australia from 1960. It provided vital links for smaller refgional communities to larger urban centers.

These airlines faced various challenges leading to their eventual bankruptcy and cessation of operations, but their contributions to the Australian aviation industry remain significant.