Regional Express Airlines (Rex) has blamed a pilot shortage on cancellations at short notice to flights on Sunday, April 22 between Melbourne and Merimbula.
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Dianne Hocking of Merimbula and Kim and Stephen Irving of Pambula were some of the locals affected when Rex suddenly withdrew the 3pm Sunday flight to Merimbula from Melbourne.
Ms Hocking was already in the terminal building at Melbourne having arrived from Hobart on her way home to Merimbula when she received a text message from Rex telling her the 3pm flight was cancelled.
“I was given a number to call for further information. I called that number and was put on hold for a total of nearly an hour before I gave up and went downstairs to talk to someone at the check-in counter.
“After waiting in a queue for what seemed a considerable amount of time I was told that the only thing that I could be offered was a flight to Merimbula on Tuesday,” Ms Hocking said.
Mr and Mrs Irving had the same experience. It was 1pm and they were on the bus heading to Tullamarine Airport when they received the text message.
They spoke with Rex staff on arrival but were given no further assistance.
Rex has apologised to passengers for the cancellation.
“Regional Express (Rex) flight ZL3492 from Melbourne to Merimbula on April 22 was regrettably cancelled due to the current industry wide pilot shortage. Rex sincerely apologises for any inconvenience caused by the flight cancellation,” a Rex spokeswoman said.
Ms Hocking was told that four Rex flights were cancelled that day with staffing problems but said the response from Rex over the situation was “totally unsatisfactory”.
“I was not offered accommodation in Melbourne and I was not given any assurance that I would even get my fare back let alone be refunded for the cost of flying to Canberra at a highly inflated rate and then having my partner drive to Canberra to get me home,” Ms Hocking said.
She said one of the passengers was a surgeon “who was desperately trying to get on a flight to Canberra and then get down to Bega as he was due to operate at Bega Hospital on Monday morning”.
In December last year the ACCC produced a report on Airline Terms and Conditions after numerous complaints about the the way airlines conducted their business.
