NJE begins Ravensthorpe FIFO flights under new contract

NJE began flights to Ravensthorpe in southern WA less than two weeks after it signed the contract with FQM Australia Nickel and Allkem. (Image: NJE)

Rex FIFO subsidiary National Jet Express (NJE) has commenced services between Perth and Ravensthorpe in southern WA after winning a new mining contract.

NJE is operating six Perth–Ravensthorpe charter flights per week using 104-seat Embraer E190 jets, which commenced on 15 December, less than two weeks after it signed the contract with FQM Australia Nickel and Allkem.

“This new contract further emphasises the significant inroads NJE is making into the resources market in WA and across Australia,” said NJE chief operating officer Craig Martin.

“It is testament to all of the staff at NJE to be able to deliver this new account, to a new port in our network, in such an incredibly short space of time.

“It is also an outstanding demonstration of the capability and responsiveness that NJE is able to offer to the resource markets around Australia.”

The news comes less than a month after NJE secured contracts for flights from Perth to Kalgoorlie and Kambalda for an unnamed Goldfields mining company, as well as between Perth and Woodie Woodie for Consolidated Minerals. In a press release, Rex and NJE hinted at plans to expand the FIFO fleet as customer numbers grow.

“The significant level of demand NJE is seeing for its services across Australia is prompting NJE to add additional aircraft and crew to support both our Dash 8-400NG and E190 operations before the end of this Financial Year,” the group said.

Additionally, in October, NJE pushed further into rival Alliance’s Queensland turf days after Qantas walked away from its bid for the FIFO operator.

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Rex has been leveraging NJE to take on Alliance in Queensland, with a major contract announced in May to provide services to BHP Mitsubishi Alliance in the Sunshine State. The first flights under the new contract took off in July.

The airline purchased NJE last year for $48 million after the Flying Kangaroo announced a bid for the rival FIFO operator; that deal, though, was in April nixed by the ACCC, and both Qantas and Alliance walked away from it last month in one of the first major decisions for new CEO Vanessa Hudson.

Rex in September also announced plans to use NJE planes to alleviate delays in its own WA regional services.