Australia’s largest regional carrier Regional Express (Rex) sees that there is a recovery underway in Australia’s mining charter market.

The airline’s chairman and major shareholder, Lim Kim Hai, says he is unable to speak for the whole industry, but based on the amount of new mining charter work Rex has been securing lately, he sees that the mining charter market in Australia does appear to be recovering.

He says Rex Group mainly caters to the mining charter market using its subsidiary Pel-Air. This carrier operates aircraft such as Saab 340s, Beechcraft KingAir and IAI Westwind jet aircraft.

Revenue from mining charters accounts for a very small percentage of Rex Group’s total revenue, says Lim. But the mining charter revenue is important to the group, “because it tends to go straight to the bottom line,” he adds.