REGIONAL EXPRESS BUSHFIRE UPDATE: NSW SOUTH COAST, SNOWY MOUNTAINS AND RIVERINA
Regional Express (Rex) has scheduled additional services to the NSW South Coast on the 1st, 2nd and 3rd January 2020 to assist with the evacuation of the South Coast region. This includes additional services between Merimbula and Melbourne, Merimbula and Sydney, and Moruya and Sydney. Thick smoke at Moruya airport prohibited services to/from Moruya on 1st January 2020, however an improvement in conditions allowed services to resume between Moruya and Sydney on 2nd January 2020. Most services have been able to operate to/from Merimbula, however the thick smoke has also prohibited some services from landing at Merimbula.
Rex is committed to providing additional services to meet the fluctuating demand on the NSW South Coast, however, operations are subject to Merimbula and Moruya airports having the necessary regulatory visibility for take-off and landing. Rex is constantly reassessing the situation on the NSW South Coast and is in communications with the Bega Valley Shire Council and Eurobodalla Shire Council. The unprecedented thick smoke is also impacting services to the Snowy Mountains (Cooma) with no services currently able to land at Snowy Mountains Airport.
Other ports affected because of reduced visibility caused by bushfire smoke include Wagga Wagga, Griffith and Narrandera-Leeton in the Riverina region. Rex thanks customers for their patience during these challenging times. Passengers whose travel arrangements have been impacted by the bushfire crisis can change to an alternative flight at no charge, have tickets placed on hold for future use at no charge, or be offered a full refund.
Rex has also have waived excess baggage fees for all firefighters helping to combat the fires. In 2018, Rex set up a $1 million Drought fund and in 2019 Rex added a further $1.5M and renamed it the Rex Relief Fund. This fund extends aid to those impacted by the current bushfire crisis and Rex encourages community groups working to alleviate the impact of the bushfire crisis to draw from the fund in the form of $4 of travel on the Rex network for every $1 raised.
Small businesses providing assistance to those impacted by the bushfire crisis are also eligible for assistance. Applications may be lodged via the Rex website under About Rex – Sponsorship.
For up-to-date flight information on disruptions, please refer to http://www.rex.com.au/
