REGIONAL Express flights serving Albury appear set to continue beyond next Monday after the federal government flagged help for country airlines hit by COVID-19.
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Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack has announced $198 million to assist regional services and a further $100 million in direct financial support which would allow for company underwriting.
Rex flies to Sydney and Melbourne from the Border.
Its deputy chairman John Sharp said "this meaningful assistance package not only seeks to keep essential air services going, but also tries to prevent the existing regional aviation providers from collapsing".
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Rex was unable to say on Sunday how its new schedule from Albury would appear.
Though as previously reported it may no longer fly the Albury-Sydney route as it is corresponding with Qantas over which airline may be the sole operator on the route during the COVID-19 crisis.
"If our projections are accurate and if Rex is able to draw on its fair share of the assistance packages, this Regional Aviation Rescue Initiative put forward by the Coalition government will permit Rex to sustain, for at least 6 months, its revised national network schedule even if passenger demand drops by 95 per cent compared to pre-COVID days," Mr Sharp said.
However up to 60 per cent of staff, mainly flight crew and engineers, will still need to be stood down due to demand falling.
The new money is in addition to $715 milllion in federal airline help previously announced, which Rex had access to along with Qantas and Virgin Australia.