In a decisive turn for Australia’s most recognisable regional carrier, creditors of Regional Express Holdings Limited (Administrators Appointed) have voted to approve a Deed of Company Arrangement (DOCA) proposed by American-based aviation group Air T.
The move, confirmed at the second creditors’ meeting and steered by EY Parthenon partners Samuel Freeman, Justin Walsh and Adam Nikitins, marks the final descent of Rex’s turbulent 15-month administration and the first real climb back toward calmer skies.
Fresh lift for Australia’s regional heartland
Once the DOCA conditions are met and the ink is dry, Air T will assume ownership and operational control of the Rex Group, expected before mid-December 2025.
The acquisition covers the airline’s bread-and-butter: 54 regional airports served by its reliable fleet of Saab 340s, the Australian Airline Pilots Academy (AAPA) in Wagga Wagga, Australian Aero Propellor Maintenance (AAPM), and the Rex Flyer loyalty program.
For rural Australia, the deal means continued lifelines between country towns and capital cities, those modest turboprops that have quietly stitched the continent together long after the jets moved on.
A plan that keeps people and planes in the air
EY Parthenon partner Sam Freeman hailed the outcome as a win for all involved.
“The DOCA provides a superior outcome for stakeholders, with ongoing employment for the continuing employees of the Rex Group, ongoing trading with suppliers and continuation of the Rex regional business connecting remote and regional communities,” he said.
It’s not the sort of statement to send shivers down Wall Street. Still, for Australia’s far-flung townships from Mount Gambier to Broken Hill, it means the difference between mobility and isolation.
Freeman also extended thanks to those who kept Rex flying while accountants and administrators untangled the books.
“On behalf of the Administrators, we wish to thank all of the staff who have ensured the seamless continuation of regular passenger services over the past 15 months, customers who have continued to support Rex through the Voluntary Administration, suppliers who have continued to support the business and the Australian Government who have provided extensive support to enable this outcome,” Freeman said.
Such acknowledgements, often buried in the fine print, carry real weight in a nation where regional aviation is less about profit and more about presence.
Air T’s landing approach
Air T, listed on the NASDAQ, already operates a suite of aviation and logistics services across North America. The company’s foray into the Australian market signals confidence in the resilience of regional travel and a belief that smaller carriers, adequately capitalised, can still carve out a viable niche in a post-pandemic landscape.
While neither party has disclosed financial details, analysts suggest Air T’s diversified background spanning maintenance, leasing, and ground-handling provides precisely the sort of ballast Rex needs to weather economic headwinds and high fuel prices.
One arm folds, another flies.
Not all wings survived the storm. Creditors resolved to place Rex Airlines Pty Ltd, the arm responsible for Rex’s ill-fated Boeing 737 capital-city network, into liquidation. That business was excluded from Air T’s DOCA proposal, drawing a clear line between the profitable heart of the regional carrier and its costly foray into the major-route battlefields dominated by Qantas and Virgin.
Still, few in the industry were surprised. The capital-city experiment was a daring but ill-timed adventure, noble, perhaps, but never quite sustainable.
A rare aviation rescue with a soft landing
In an era littered with corporate collapses that end in empty hangars and redundant ground crews, Rex’s rescue stands out. Employment continues, suppliers remain on the books, and regional passengers still hear the familiar call sign on their airport PA.
If all unfolds as planned, Rex will emerge from administration before Christmas a rejuvenated airline with a new owner, renewed purpose, and, fittingly, another chance to keep Australia’s regional skies alive.
By Bridget Gomez – (c) 2025
Read time: 3 minutes.
About the Writer
Bridget has never been one to sit still. Of Portuguese heritage, she first trained as a nurse. She threw herself into work at the Commonwealth Veteran Affairs Repatriation Hospital, tending to old soldiers with stories almost as colourful as her own would become. It was rewarding, steady work — but wanderlust has a louder voice than routine.
So, she swapped starched uniforms for a backpack and set off on a twelve-month gallop around the globe. Along the way, she scribbled in journals, capturing the dust, the laughter, the odd missed train, and the occasional glass of wine too many. Those notebooks soon became a travel blog, her way of reliving and sharing the journeys with anyone willing to read.
Eventually, Bridget stumbled across Global Travel Media and, in her words, “the rest is history.” Now she writes with the same mix of heart and mischief that fuelled her travels.
