THE Civil Aviation Safety Authority has definitively cleared Regional Express in a formal report following an audit conducted on the airline earlier this month.
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It didn't report a single safety finding and didn't find any minor lapses that would warrant a safety observation.
The audit also examined the video provided by an anonymous source to the media that allegedly showed "rust" on a propeller shaft of a Rex plane.
The report accepted evidence that the surface discolouration visible in the video was dirt and "very minor surface corrosion".
Rex deputy chairman John Sharp commended CASA for devoting resources to ensuring the audit report was published soon after its completion.
"Although the report by CASA has unequivocally vindicated Rex on all the baseless accusations, the damage to REX's reputation in the minds of some members of the public is great, and will not be completely repaired as the media will not be so enthusiastic in now reporting the truth," he said.
"Rex will be seeking advice on the appropriate actions to be taken."
CASA sent staff to the airline's Wagga heavy maintenance base recently to randomly survey five engineers to see if they agreed with the sentiments expressed by what Rex described as a "disgruntled engineer" who had made a complaint to the union.
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