National Jet Express lands 2 new WA FIFO contracts

NJE will operate two weekly charter flights from Perth to Kalgoorlie and Kambalda using its E190 and Dash 8-400NG aircraft for an unnamed Goldfields mining company, as well as three weekly E190 flights between Perth and Woodie Woodie for Consolidated Minerals.

“On the heels of NJE’s recent announcement on 23 October 2023 of new Queensland-based resources contracts, these two new contracts in our largest base in Western Australia demonstrate that the Mining and Resources Industry recognises the Rex Group and NJE as the premier provider of FIFO services in Australia,” said NJE managing director Chris Hine.

“NJE is rapidly becoming the first port of call for resource companies seeking premium, safe and reliable air services in modern aircraft with a greatly reduced carbon footprint.

“The significant demand we are seeing for our services is driving our rapid rate of expansion, with one additional De Havilland Dash 8-400NG aircraft joining our fleet last month and plans to add additional aircraft to both our Dash 8-400NG and E190 fleets before the end of this Financial Year.”

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.

“We have drawn up plans to mobilise the resources of National Jet Express, a joint venture acquisition late last year so that the latter’s aircraft could be used whenever possible if Rex aircraft or pilots are unavailable,” the airline wrote in a letter to the editor in WA-based newspapers.

“This plan will be implemented as soon as approval is granted by the Department of Transport.

“We also intend to tap into the operations centre of NJE to co-ordinate communications with passengers during disruptions.”