The route joins a growing list of those at the heart of a fiery dispute between Rex and rival Qantas, with Melbourne-Devonport notably being only serviced by Qantas prior to Rex's announcement.

Sir Ross Macpherson Smith, one of Australia's most distinguished military aviators and one of the first pilots to fly from England to Australia, in 1919, has been remembered in honour of the 100th anniversary of his death.

The iconic stealth aircraft, from the Pacific Air Forces (PACAF), are visiting as part of an initiative to improve interoperability between the US Air Force and the RAAF.

The move will put pressure on Australian airlines to extend their equivalent offers, with Qantas and Virgin’s flexibility schemes now having ended for new bookings.