FLEET - National Jet Express (Nje) Welcomes Additional Q400 Aircraft

On 30 January 2026, NUE welcomed it's 12 De Havilland Q400 aircraft to its fleet. After arriving in Perth last weekend, the aircraft has today commenced services for NJE's mining, resources and construction clients, adding additional capacity to support strong demand for NJE's services around Australia as well as providing additional coverage during periods of scheduled aircraft maintenance.

The Q400 aircraft (registered VH-8QD) will operate alongside NJE's fleet of eight (8) Embraer E190 jets in Perth to support the continuing growth of NJE's presence in the Mining, Resources and Construction industries. The delivery of VH-8QD beings NUE's fleet dedicated to the provision of passenger charter services to twenty (20) aircraft. NUE anticipates another De Havilland Q400 to join its fleet before the end of the Financial Year. 

This cements NJE's place as one of Australia's premier Mining and Resources FIFO charter operators, as well as allowing NJE to increasingly support other charter clients across the sporting, leisure and education sectors.

FLEET - National Jet Express grows network, E190 fleet

National Jet Express (JTE, Adelaide International) has added a seventh E190 type to its fleet and opened new closed charter routes. The ERJ 190-100LR registered as VP-CDY (msn 19000488) ferried into Perth International from Jakarta Soekarno-Hatta on March 4, 2024. The aircraft, which National Jet Express has leased from CDB Aviation, last flew for Amaszonas (Z8, La Paz El Alto), will enter into the Australian register as VH-8EA.

“National Jet Express's fleet expansion underscores our commitment to servicing the ever-growing demand of the resource sectors for a reliable carrier with modern and fuel-efficient aircraft," said A/COO Robin Furber.

The Rex Group, operator of Rossair Charter (Adelaide International) and Pel-Air Aviation (PFY, Sydney Kingsford Smith), acquired National Jet Express in mid-2022. The specialist closed charter and fly-in-fly-out operator has a fleet of five ERJ 190-100ARs, two ERJ 190-100LRs, nine DHC-8-Q400s, three DHC-8-100s, and four BAe 146-300(QT)s.

Separately, National Jet Express is commencing scheduled charter flights between Perth and West Musgrave Mine, near the Western Australian, South Australian and Northern Territory borders. The BHP-operated West Musgrave mine includes the Nebo and Babel nickel-copper deposits and the Succoth copper deposit. National Jet Express has also recently added Gruyere, AU, which serves Gold Road Resource's gold mine, and the Queensland port city of Gladstone, to its network. In addition, the airline has commenced twice-weekly charter roundtrips between Cairns and Moranbah.

CH Aviation

Australia's Cobham Regional rebrands to National Jet Express /First ERJ 190 with new paint and titles

Cobham Aviation Services Australia - Regional (Adelaide International) has confirmed its rebranding to National Jet Express (NJE) five months after the acquisition of the business by Rex - Regional Express (ZL, Wagga Wagga) sister firm Rex Freight and Charter Pty Ltd (RFC).

The NJE airline brand is over 30 years old but fell into disuse after a rebranding to Cobham Aviation Services Australia in 2009. NJE is a separate entity to the Qantas Groupwned National Jet Systems (NJS). When RFC finalized the acquisition of NJE in September 2022, the airline said it would revive the NJE brand.

Acquired by the US-based private equity firm Advent International in early 2020, Cobham Group was operating two distinct but successful businesses - a special missions arm that primarily operated surveillance flights for the Australian government, and an ad-hoc and contracted fly-in-fly-out (FIFO) charter business. In 2022, Advent sold off the special missions business to Leidos and the charter business to Regional Express who paid AUD48 million dollars (USD32.3 million) to secure an instant 10 - 15% slice of Australia's lucrative FIFO charter work.

"Rex has bold plans to grow and transform NJE to become Australia’s premier fly-in fly-out (FIFO), charter and freight operator," said a social media post.

Rex's acquisition of NJE included six E190s and eight DHC-8-Q400s. In late September, Regional Express Executive Chairman Lim Kim Hai said he would immediately be looking to lease another two Q400s to boost NJE's capacity, however, those aircraft are yet to arrive. Meanwhile, Regional Express is reportedly receiving its eighth and ninth B737-800s in 1Q 2023 for domestic passenger operations on Australia's east coast trunk routes.

Embraer 190LR (ERJ-190-100LR)/  VH-IQA

Perth (PER / YPPH) - Western Australia, Australia 

Photo: Thomas Wilson

NEW AIRCRAFT - Embraer and Rex Group sign extension for Spares Pool Program

 The Australian airline had been receiving Embraer’s support since 2014.

Paris, June 23, 2023 - Embraer has signed a contract extension with Rex Group member, National Jet Express (NJE), for the Pool Program, to support its six Embraer E-190 jets. NJE had been receiving Embraer’s support for a wide range of repairable components since 2014.

Currently, Embraer’s Pool Program supports more than 60 airlines worldwide.

“We are very pleased to extend our partnership with National Jet Express and the Rex Group. This contract extension shows that we provide the best-in-class service for our customers and that there are several advantages for the airlines being supported by the Pool Program”, says Johann Bordais, President and CEO, Embraer Services & Support.

Rex Executive Chairman, Lim Kim Hai, said, “The support we have received from Embraer over the last nine years has been exemplary and I want to commend them for their customer-mindedness and for the partnership with the Singapore office.”

The Embraer Pool Program is designed to allow airlines to minimize their upfront investment in high-value repairable inventories and resources while taking advantage of Embraer’s technical expertise along with its vast component repair service provider network. The results are significant savings on repair and inventory carrying costs, reduction in required warehousing space, and the virtual elimination of the need for resources required for repair management, while ultimately providing guaranteed performance levels.

REX Airlines to relaunch National Jet Express with a new livery

 The airline announced that it will relaunch the National Jet Express livery, building on the brand reputation that NJE already had.

National Jet was founded in 1989 and began flying in 1990. It had two operating entities, National Jet Systems and National Jet Express, the latter being the charter operator. It mainly operated for Australian Airlines, which was also a majority shareholder. When Qantas acquired Australian Airlines, National Jet Systems flights were operated under the QantasLink brand.

National Jet was owned by Cobham Limited, and in 2009 the airline began operating National Jet Express flights under the Cobham brand. In 2020, National Jet Systems was sold to Qantas Group and continues to operate twenty B717-200s for Qantas.

Now, REX is bringing back the National Jet Express brand. Its fleet of eight DHC-8-400s and six ERJ190s will be gradually renamed over the next year. The company also has four BAe146-300s, but they are planned to be retired.

National Jet Express illustration.