Regional Express (Rex) has warned the federal government its ruling on professional work visas could gravely affect air services to regional Australia, possibly including Orange.
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The announcement abolished temporary work visas, or 457 visas, replacing them with temporary skill shortage visas.
But the changes will remove aeroplane pilots and aircraft maintenance engineers from the list.
Rex chief operating officer Neville Howell said without the ability to import occupations, many smaller regional operators would not have survived.
“Rex is the only major airline in Australia that established its own pilot academy simply to train new pilots for its airline,” he said.
“Rex is still obliged to recruit overseas as the rate of poaching by the larger carriers is simply staggering.”
Mr Howell said if the government did not reverse the decision, Rex would have to shut services to marginal regional centres.