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Rex is cutting back on services to the NSW town of Orange for eight weeks, citing “challenging” winter weather.
The regional carrier will no longer stop at Orange en route between Sydney and Parkes on morning and evening flights from 21 June to 15 August, though midday services will continue. It follows a Rex Saab 340B being forced to turn back to Sydney last week due to safety concerns.
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“This seasonal adjustment reflects the challenging winter weather conditions such as fog, low cloud and snow that have historically disrupted operations at Orange Airport, affecting our ability to reliably arrive and depart on schedule,” a Rex spokesperson told the Central Western Daily.
“This decision was further evidenced today [Thursday, June 11] when flight ZL6561 was unable to land at Orange due to prevailing fog and low cloud cover, necessitating a diversion to Sydney and resulting in significant inconvenience to passengers.
“By operating non-stop between Sydney and Parkes during this eight-week period, Rex can provide greater certainty around aircraft availability and crew, minimising disruptions for customers travelling to and from both Orange and Parkes.
“We look forward to reinstating the full Orange stopover service on Sunday, August 16, once the winter season has passed.”
Orange Regional Airport is currently served by QantasLink, Rex, and Link Airways. It was one of 34 regional and remote airports, mostly council-run, that were given support from a $4.8 million Commonwealth fund to help airports affected by Rex’s administration, receiving a total of $142,686.
According to Transport Minister Catherine King, the Albanese government plans to “continue to work closely with regional and remote communities to strengthen aviation connectivity”.
“We committed to and delivered the successful sale of Rex Airlines to keep regional communities connected to the services they need,” she said last month.
“This financial support is yet another demonstration of our unwavering support for regional and remote aviation. We support regional aviation through word and deed, because we understand the essential nature of aviation to communities all over Australia.”
A report in March found more than half of regional airports in Australia are losing money, with the median loss of around $192,000 for the 2025 financial year.
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