A Rex Airlines flight attendant who lost her job has written a heartbreaking response to a frustrated customer following the company’s demise.
The airline, which declared voluntary bankruptcy on Tuesday evening, has cancelled all flights between airports in major cities, causing travel disruptions to thousands of customers.
One affected customer complained on social media about the cancellation of her flight: ‘Rex Airlines has gone bankrupt and cancelled my flights with less than 48 hours notice.
‘They were supposed to offer a free transfer to Virgin, but we’ve been on hold for over an hour.’
In response to the angry customer, former Rex flight attendant Layla Rackley pointed out that many employees, including herself, had recently lost their jobs.
‘I know this is very frustrating, but the staff at Rex, including myself, have lost our jobs very unexpectedly. We are all devastated.
“I hope your flights are sorted out.”
The heartbreaking comment generated hundreds of positive responses, including from the original complaining customer, who was ultimately put on an alternative flight.
“This is heartbreaking for everyone. My heart goes out to you,” they wrote.
Rex Airlines flight attendant Layla Rackley (pictured) urged frustrated customers to arrange alternative flights and treat staff with kindness and patience
Ms Rackley (pictured with other Rex flight attendants) said she was ‘so grateful’ for her experience with Rex Airlines
Ms Rackley then shared a series of photos from her time at Rex Airlines, offering a heartfelt thank you to her former colleagues.
“Two years ago I left everything behind to move to Sydney and start my dream job as a flight attendant,” she said.
‘I am so grateful for the friends who are now family and for all the experiences I have had that have shaped me into the person I am today.
“Rex will always have a special place in my heart. I am truly saddened by this, but we will get through this together.”
Her comments came just before executives informed hundreds of employees they would likely not receive any pay or severance pay in the coming months.
At a meeting with employees, Justin Walsh, a director at EY, announced that the airline would not be able to pay wages or severance payments for months as 350 employees were immediately laid off.
‘The business, to be perfectly honest, is simply not viable and the directors, after working very hard, have come to the conclusion that [Rex Airlines] is unable to pay its workers’ wages,’ director Justin Walsh said during a meeting with workers, the ABC reports.
‘Simply put, I don’t think the company is able to cover the costs it has to incur to remain operational.
‘Given that the Company is not operational and it is unlikely, or almost certain, that it will not be able to become operational in the future, the Directors regrettably believe that the roles of all Company employees involved in this discussion should be made redundant.
“The simple fact that I do not have sufficient resources to pay your salary leaves the administrators with no choice but to carry out that consultation process in a very short period of time.”
Rex Airlines is to lay off 360 employees and a further 250 workers in its Regional Express division, which operates flights in regional and rural Australia.
Transport Minister Catherine King has pledged to work closely with governors to ensure the airline continues to fly beyond capital cities, saying flights are vital to many regional communities.
Ms Rackley (pictured with a colleague) highlighted how she and other Rex employees had suddenly lost their jobs
Regional flights are still operating following EY’s appointment, while rival airlines Virgin Australia and Qantas are doing their part to help customers booked to fly to the capital with alternative flights.
Administrators said on Wednesday they were confident the airline would retain its status as a major regional carrier. They also said Virgin had expressed interest in taking over a number of Rex’s Boeing 737s that had been grounded on scrapped major routes.
When asked about this, Ms. King did not rule out the possibility of a government bailout. However, she said no figures had been discussed on the size of the federal funding that might be included in such an aid package.
“The first thing we want to do is hear from administrators about what it will take to ensure that regional aviation continues with Rex,” she said.
‘The government will act quickly… it is a complex situation with multiple commercial arrangements, but we stand ready to work closely with the drivers because that regional presence is absolutely vital.’
Rex Airlines has gone into voluntary bankruptcy and suspended all flights between major airports
The TWU has called on the federal government to take a stake in Rex to minimise job losses and protect regional Australia.
“This is another black day for aviation, with more than 600 families suddenly out of work in a sector that has been hit one after another,” said Michael Kaine, TWU national secretary.
‘The focus now must be on maximising jobs, protecting regional routes, securing redeployment opportunities with other airlines and paying out entitlements as quickly as possible.’
Aviation experts say Rex’s problems stem from its decision to focus on passengers in the capital on major city routes.
The airline wanted to compete with Qantas and Virgin in the so-called ‘golden triangle’ of flights between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane.
Rob Nicholls, associate professor and policy expert at the University of Sydney, told SBS News the challenge Rex created for itself was that it had to compete directly with Qantas and Virgin on urban routes, when it was originally set up to fly regionally only.
“You have one major airline and one competing airline that is strong and has sufficient financial resources, and then it is difficult for a third player to compete directly if there are only a limited number of people who want to fly between places,” he said.
According to Professor Nicholls, Rex found it more difficult to be flexible on pricing in the new market.
“Rex had a challenge because he was the new entrant on those routes and because the costs were high,” he explained.
We’ve already seen Bonza [collapse]’The biggest problem was that the costs of leasing aircraft were very high, while it was exactly the same aircraft or type of aircraft that Rex leased for those major city routes.’