The Regional Express Group (Rex) today announced that it has purchased the entire Saab 340 spare parts holdings from Pinnacle Airlines in the USA. The Pinnacle spare parts package consists of spares from Mesaba Airlines and Colgan Air who together in the past operated over 80 Saab 340 aircraft.

The spares package has over 215,000 items and includes engines, propellers and undercarriages as well as a vast array of tooling and ground support equipment.

Commenting on the deal, Rex Chief Operating Officer Garry Filmer said, “The acquisition of this package will bolster the already significant spares holding owned by Rex and will assure the support of the Rex Group fleet of 51 Saab 340 aircraft over its useful life of at least another 15 years. It will also lower our maintenance cost as these spares are purchased at a very steep discount from the retail value."

Regional Express (Rex) is Australia’s largest independent regional airline operating a fleet of 47 Saab 340 aircraft on some 1,300 weekly flights to 35 destinations throughout New South Wales, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Queensland. The Rex Group comprises Regional Express, air freight and charter operator Pel-Air Aviation and Dubbo-based regional airline Air Link, as well as the pilot academy Australian Airline Pilot Academy.