Rex - Regional Express (ZL, Wagga Wagga) is eyeing a further expansion of its business interests, having recently responded to a request for information (RFI) from the Australian government's Antarctic Division (AAD) to provide fixed-wing capacity to the frozen continent. The airline expects to submit a formal tender when the application process starts later this year.
The RFI, which closed on June 30, calls for expressions of interest from suitably qualified applicants to provide air capacity between Australia and Antarctica. "The Australian Antarctic Program requires intercontinental and intracontinental aviation services comprising four core capabilities that can be bundled under one supplier/prime or delivered under individual contracts," says the Australian government's tender website.
The current primary provider of flights to Antarctica for the Australian government is Skytraders (SND, Sydney Kingsford Smith), which also provides some Antarctic aviation capacity for the Norwegian, US, Italian, and New Zealand governments. Over the Southern Hemisphere summer, they operate a modified A319-100 from Hobart International to a sea-ice runway near Australia's Casey Station on Antarctica. The airline also conducts intra-Antarctic flights using modified turboprop aircraft.
According to Rex, the planned AAD tender will call for a substantial aviation capacity commitment to bring together all the specialised aerial operations under one provider. "The program calls for significantly expanded capabilities comprising one large intercontinental passenger jet capability, four intracontinental turbo-prop aircraft able to operate on skis, four twin-engine helicopters which can operate both on land and on the division's flagship, the RSV Nuyina, plus a significant scaling up of uncrewed aerial system (UAS) capability for the division's operations during the Antarctic Austral summer (October to March)," Rex's statement on the matter reads.
In addition to scheduled passenger flights, Rex also operates the specialist fly-in-fly-out closed charter carrier National Jet Express (JTE, Adelaide International) and Pel-Air Aviation (PFY, Sydney Kingsford Smith), an aero-medical retrieval and freight operator. While listed on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX), Rex - Regional Express is primarily controlled by Singaporean interests, with Kim Hai Lim the top shareholder.
Rex says it has assembled an Antarctic advisory panel (AAP) which includes members with experience in aviation operations in Antarctica, plus people with expertise in modifying aircraft to operate in cold climate conditions. The airline plans to assemble a consortium of partners who will "operate some aspects of the program that require more specialised expertise."
The APP will spend the remainder of the year working on the upcoming tender. Rex says it expects the Australian government to issue a request for proposal in November.
