Deloitte says it does not want to be Rex’s administrator

The six-week mission by UK and US-based marine exploration firm Ocean Infinity will survey an area of around 15,000 square kilometres, focusing on four “hotspots” where researchers believe the plane is most likely to be found.

Virgin announced this week it would drop the underperforming Cairns–Haneda service from 24 February and reassign its 737 MAX 8s to domestic flights.

In a statement, Transport Minister Catherine King announced that passengers on all regional flights booked through Rex since it entered administration at 9:31pm on 30 July will “either fly or get their money back”.