Rex Australia deputy chairman claims Qantas is trying to ‘undermine’ the airline

A war of words has broken out between two Australian airlines as carriers battle for crucial business in the pandemic era. Rex Australia has expanded operating routes despite challenges posed by COVID but Qantas challenged the airline’s viability after it added Sydney to Melbourne flights on the route already used by Qantas and Virgin. “My personal view is that this market has never sustained three airline groups and it probably won’t into the future,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said. “You can be guaranteed that Qantas will be one of them – it’s who else is going to be in the marketplace post this and into the future [that] is going to be interesting.” Rex Australia Deputy Chairman John Sharp said, “they’re questioning our vitality … because they want to undermine our position in the marketplace.” “Alan Joyce the CEO of Qantas has on three occasions over the last few months made statements saying that it’s likely Rex will not survive the COVID pandemic, in other words go broke. “When people make statements about your company that are false, misleading and designed to undermine you in the market it’s our responsibility to respond to those and put the facts on the table as they are." Mr Sharp told Sky News Rex Airlines went into the pandemic without any debt and has even made a profit in the first half of the current financial year. “We’re in a really strong position, far stronger than any other airline in Australia and one of the strongest financial positions of any airline in the world." Via news.com.au — Australia’s leading news site https://www.news.com.au