“We are concerned that this proposed acquisition is likely to substantially lessen competition for air transport services to and from regional and remote areas in Queensland and Western Australia for corporate customers,” said ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said in mid-August.

The ACCC gave Rex the green light for its purchase of NJE less than two weeks after the initial announcement.

While the ACCC has raised concerns with Qantas’ acquisition of Alliance, Rex doesn’t have a problem with it.

“Rex does not believe that the Qantas takeover of Alliance will result in a significant lessening of competition as the existing market players ... have the capabilities to be able to compete vigorously for each new tender,” Rex corporate services general manager Irwin Tan wrote in a letter addressed to the ACCC.

However, Rex’s support the acquisition comes with a few conditions, one of which is that Qantas would “not impose any restrictions on access to its simulators by its rivals”.