Federal Transport Minister, Catherine King, has today directed Sydney Airport to suspend the ‘use it or lose it’ test on Rex’s regional NSW slot holdings for the current and upcoming scheduling season.
The Minister said the Federal Government was working to protect Rex’s regional NSW slots at Sydney Airport to support the embattled company through the administration process.
The ‘use it or lose it’ test stipulates that airlines must use 80% of their allocated slots or risk losing them.
“Its suspension will protect Rex’s NSW regional slots at Sydney Airport until late March 2026,” said Minister King.
“Along with our guarantee for regional flight bookings, this forms part of our commitment to supporting regional communities and ensuring they are connected to major capital city destinations.
“While this direction is in place, I expect Rex to hand back any slots that it does not intend to use for other airlines to operate in the upcoming scheduling season.”
This will ensure other airline operators are not deprived of the ability to use unutilised slots, said Minister King.
“Our Government will continue to work closely with Rex’s administrator to determine a path forward that ensures regional aviation has a strong future in this country,” she said.
