News: VAH Australia's Regional Express could operate 30 or 40 jets by 2022-deputy chairman

SYDNEY, Nov 11 (Reuters) - Regional Express Holdings Ltd (Rex) (REX) aims to have around 30 or 40 narrowbody jets operating on domestic routes in Australia by the end of 2022 if its expansion to major cities is a success, the airline's deputy chairman said on Wednesday.

The regional carrier has so far announced plans to lease an initial six Boeing Co BA.N 737 planes to compete against Qantas Airways Ltd (QAN) and Virgin Australia Holdings Ltd (VAH) on routes like Sydney-Melbourne from March.

"By the end of 2022... Rex's ambition is to be a sizeable domestic airline operator with a fleet of 30 or maybe 40 maybe even more narrowbodied single-aisle aircraft operating on the domestic network around Australia," Rex Deputy Chairman John Sharp said at a CAPA Centre for Aviation event.