Shire of Shark Bay confident Rex Airlines will continue regional services in Monkey Mia and Carnarvon

Gascoyne councils are hopeful it will be business as usual for their towns despite escalating concerns looming over Rex Airlines entered into voluntary administration last week. The Sydney-based carrier has axed domestic flights between Perth and other major cities including Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart, Canberra, Cairns and the Gold Coast, but is still fulfilling its State Government-regulated regional routes servicing Carnarvon, Monkey Mia, Albany and Esperance. Rex links the Gascoyne towns of Carnarvon and Monkey Mia to Perth, easing the burden on residents who would otherwise be forced to travel by road — 900 and 850km respectively — to get to the capital. Shark Bay shire president Cheryl Cowell said she was concerned about Rex’s plight, but following discussions with administrators the shire was hopeful regional communities would not be affected. “From a shire’s perspective, for the local population, the service is very vital for us. It’s not tourists, it’s the local residents who will be affected if it goes pear-shaped,” she said, explaining that most tourists travelled via road. “We’re definitely hearing from concerned residents. It is a vital service for us, otherwise getting people in and out of town to medical appointments is quite difficult. “We have an ageing population in town, I think we have one of the highest populations of people aged over 50 in the state. Having that service means residents can get to their appointments. “It’s a way of being able to leave town without too much stress, even if you’re going on holidays and you’re flying from Perth, it adds a lot more stress if you’re having to drive down to Perth.” Cr Cowell said it was encouraging Rex would continue offering capped community airfares, providing local residents with discounted flights. “The ship is going ahead, the regional routes will remain the same. Rex are upholding their regional flights so we’re hopeful it will work its way through,” she said. She confirmed there was no debt owning from Rex. RAC owns the landing strip at Monkey Mia. The Shire of Carnarvon declined to comment on Rex going into administration as it was not currently affecting the community. Rex is the only airline offering daily flights between Carnarvon and Perth. The Opposition has called for regional community to be provided clarity and to be kept fully informed. “Air travel is essential for many in regional WA, providing a lifeline for business, healthcare, and social connectivity,” Opposition leader Shane Love said. “Any reduction or removal of this service would devastate healthcare access, tourism and regional economies.” Transport Minister Rita Saffioti has said Rex was a “key player” in the regional market. “We very much wanted to see them stay in WA because of the need for long-term competition,” she said. Rex Airlines says all regional planes are “still flying as scheduled” in the wake of Ernst & Young being appointed administrators.