Regional communities across Australia are worried about the future of the nation's third largest airline, which has entered voluntary administration. Rex has stopped its capital and major city routes, but regional routes are still flying.
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00:00I'm here at Port Macquarie Airport where passengers are about to board the first Rex flight of
00:06the day. With the carrier's flights operating as usual out of Port Macquarie, here's what
00:11some passengers have had to say before the flight.
00:13We need these services. It's very disappointing to wake up in the morning and go, oh my goodness,
00:19the plane may not be flying and we can't have this. And with bonds are going, we're being
00:25disadvantaged by the big companies.
00:29The news comes after Rex halted shared trading on Monday amid speculation about the airline's
00:34future. Around the country, Rex is heavily relied on, particularly in rural and remote
00:38areas where it can be the only way for doctors and other medical professionals to fly in
00:43and treat patients. We've spoken to a fly-in fly-out doctor who flies Rex twice a month
00:49from Sydney to Port Macquarie. Now, just to be clear, those services are still available
00:54but he's worried about what the future might hold if those regional flights were also grounded.
01:00We've also spoken to a few locals who have similar concerns.
01:04It's a shame because we do need more flights to different regions. The port to go up north,
01:12down south, regional areas instead of just having Qantas. It's a step back as far as
01:18people concerned in Port Macquarie and businesses. They're going to suffer.
01:22Well, my first thought was no. I love Rex. I've relied on Rex to get me to visit my family
01:29and friends in Sydney and Melbourne from the regional area. And we can't lose another airline.
01:34Residents are also frustrated after just losing budget airline Bonza, which was in more than
01:39$116 million worth of debt. In a statement posted to the Rex website late last night,
01:45Rex said it was working with Virgin to explore opportunities to support regional customers.
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