Rex extends suspension of Armidale service until October

The airline announced the extension on Friday, February 2, blaming "continuing dislocated supply chains post COVID that are heavily impacting the provision of aircraft spare parts, especially aircraft engine parts".

Flights to and from Armidale Regional Airport were initially suspended in October last year.

Then, the regional carrier blamed the suspension of services on other carriers pillaging its pilots, as well as a shortage of engines, forcing the carrier to park 340 aircraft.

On Friday, Rex said it would need to prolong the regional network reductions implemented throughout last year.

"Rex prefers to reduce services if it does not have the resources to fly them rather than continue to sell tickets for phantom flights and then cancelling them at the last minute," Rex's general manager of network strategy, Warrick Lodge, said.

"Rex is committed to the rebuilding of its regional network and intends to return to the standard flight schedules from October 27, subject to the situation improving."

The suspension announced in October last year drew ire from Armidale Mayor Sam Coupland and Northern Tablelands MP Adam Marshall.

Mayor Coupland said Council was doing "everything we responsibly can" to keep the regional airline flying over Armidale skies, saying the service was vital for the city's business, health care, government services and tourism.

Mr Marshall said he would be seeking assurances from rival Qantas that it would maintain its flight capacity and fares would be pegged at current levels.

Rex is Australia's largest independent regional and domestic airline and is also a 50 per cent shareholder of charter and freight operator National Jet Express.