Rex arose from the ashes of the collapse of the Ansett Group when two of its regional airlines , Hazelton and Kendell Airlines, were rescued to form Rex in August 2002. By 2020 when the Covid pandemic decimated the global airline industry, Rex was already the largest regional airline in Australia with over 60 destinations. Even though badly affected by the pandemic, Rex took the bold step to commence domestic jet operations, starting with services in the golden triangle of Sydney-Melbourne-Brisbane, in March 2021.