News: QAN UPDATE 1-Australia's Rex cuts flights, blames rivals including Qantas of 'pillaging'...

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Sept 22 (Reuters) - Australian airline Regional Express (REX) on Friday suspended more flights from Sydney and accused competitors such as Qantas Airways (QAN) of "pillaging" its regional pilots.

The carrier said it is "forced" to make such reductions, cutting regional routes between Sydney and a number of towns in New South Wales.

In April, Rex reduced or changed flight times for nine services across four states, including routes between Sydney and Broken Hill, Melbourne and Wagga Wagga, and Adelaide and Port Lincoln.

The affected routes require SAAB-340 twin-engine pilots, with whom the regional carrier had found itself embroiled in a labour dispute following a rejected pay proposal in 2022.

The affected operations will return to normal by the end of March 2024 if the situation improves, Rex said.

It is also, for the time being, halting flight services between Sydney and Armidale until the end of March next year.

Rex also confirmed the routes it cancelled earlier in the year, along with its Adelaide-Mildura operation, would remain suspended for at least another five months.