Rex Airlines will axe its Adelaide to Whyalla service after a stoush with the native council over costs for safety screening.
The airline says its companies will cease on the finish of June following the council’s determination to cross on the price of safety checks to all airways utilizing the Whyalla Airport, describing the transfer as “devious and underhanded”.
Rex says the federal authorities has decided that its regional plane should not required to have safety screening for its passengers, one thing the council is conscious of.
It says Qantas companies are legally required to be screened.
But the council says it could’t have completely different guidelines for particular person carriers.
“Regardless of individual carriers’ requirements, the Whyalla Airport has now become a screened facility to meet federal aviation conditions,” Whyalla Mayor Phill Stone mentioned.
“This means all airlines utilising the facility will need to cover the cost of screening, particularly given passengers cannot be segregated from screening based on their carrier.
“Only passing the price on to Qantas would create an unfair taking part in discipline resulting from it leading to about $80 further per departing passenger for Qantas, whereas Rex would incur no further prices.”
Rex’s General Manager of Network Strategy Warrick Lodge said the additional security cost made the Whyalla to Adelaide service unviable and the airline had no option but to scrap the route.
“Imposing a passenger safety screening cost of $35-$40 per departing passenger is a devious and underhanded try by Whyalla City Council to pressure Rex to subsidise the safety screening prices of Qantas,” Mr Lodge mentioned.
“We have made it completely clear to the City of Whyalla for a lot of months that this pointless and vital value will end result within the route being financially unsustainable.”
Mr Stone said the airline’s departure was a huge blow to the local community but to suggest its decision to pass on the charges was “underhanded” was unfair.
He said the council would now work with the broader airline industry to explore options to help minimise the impact.
The mayor also took a swipe at the federal government for its decision to no longer cover the security screening costs, accusing it of letting the Whyalla community down.
“Unfortunately, our intensive lobbying to the related federal ministers has fallen on deaf ears,” he mentioned.
Source: www.perthnow.com.au
