The airline told the Daily Liberal that, despite screening being in place for all flights at Dubbo City Regional Airport for many years, REX services should be excluded because the "only solution is to accept some risk exists in everyday life".

Australian Airports Association (AAA) Chief Executive Officer Caroline Wilkie said there was no longer any doubt about the airline's profit motives.

"REX has once again chosen to use its market power to initiate a public and misleading campaign against a regional airport operator," Ms Wilkie said.

"First, the airline threatened to redeploy 61 weekly flights from the airport because they did not like the draft master plan.

"Now they want to get rid of security screening for REX flights, without any regard for the concern this may cause their own passengers.

"This is a concerted campaign to boost REX's profit margins no matter what the impact on the travelling public."

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REX told the Daily Liberal its aircraft are not required by law to be screened and removing security screening for its passengers at Dubbo airport would place no more risk on passengers than boarding a bus or a train.

"The current risk assessment is that there does not need to have security screening at train stations. Similarly, the current risk assessment is that there need not be any screening for REX flights," the spokesperson said.

Excluding REX from screening would give it a competitive commercial advantage against other airlines operating at the airport, while making managing security more complex, Ms Wilkie said.

"This latest call shows just how far REX will go to increase their profits, and associated threats to withdraw services could hamstring the region's economy even as it continues to struggle through drought," she said

"REX has form using the media to threaten a reduction in services if regional airports don't meet their demands.

"It is hard to fathom how REX could threaten to withdraw from a successful route when to do so completely would threaten the jobs and livelihoods of their very own customers in the region.

"It is time for REX to work constructively with regional airport operators so the travelling public can get the best possible deal."

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