Residents in remote and regional Western Australia say they are suffering from severe health setbacks as a result of the poor service provided by Rex Airlines.

Rex, which offers flights between Perth, Esperance, Albany and Carnarvon, has been under fire in recent months due to repeated cancellations and delays.

But the company has repeatedly brushed off criticism and told the ABC that complaints from passengers left stranded in the Gascoyne last month should be aired in a government-controlled forum.

But there are serious consequences for some people reliant on the airline's services.

Albany resident Julie Faulkner has to travel to Perth for specialist appointments every eight weeks after being diagnosed with cancer.

On May 11, Ms Faulkner was forced to drive to Perth at 4am after her flight was cancelled.

"It's just so unreliable," she said.

"I can't fathom how they can call it a service when they don't give you a service.

Ms Faulkner's flight was scheduled for 2:00pm the day before her appointment in Perth.

But when she arrived at the airport she was told the flight was running late due to technical difficulties.

After several more delay notices, the airline told her that evening that the flight had been rescheduled for 6:30am the next day.

Because of her past experiences with Rex, Ms Faulkner decided to drive.

Having previously missed appointments, she now refuses to fly with the airline.

Carnarvon local Malcolm de Lille has macular degeneration, which can cause a loss of vision.

He needs to receive injections every six weeks to help slow the progression of the disease.

Mr de Lille usually receives the injections from a health specialist who visits the region, but he has repeatedly missed appointments because of the frequency of Rex cancellations.

"Without these specialists … giving me the right injections for my eyes, I will go blind," he said.

Rex Airlines did not respond to numerous requests for comment.

Standards not being met, department says

Under an agreement between the WA government and Rex, the airline must meet or exceed controllable on-time performance (OTP) standards.

These relate to flight delays that are within the airline's control that it has the capacity to rectify or avoid.

WA Transport Minister Rita Saffioti said flight cancellations and delays were affecting the entire aviation industry.

Ms Saffioti said she understood the frustrations and concerns people had.

Department of Transport figures show Rex is routinely failing to meet the government's required standards on its Albany, Esperance and Carnarvon routes.

In a statement, the Department of Transport said it was continuing to work closely with Rex to improve its performance.

A spokesperson said delays and cancellations were being caused by skilled labour shortages and high pilot attrition rates.

The department also said Rex airlines was addressing these issues through apprentice schemes, cadetship programs, and the recruitment of direct entry pilots.

North West Central MP Merome Beard said the impact of the delays and cancellations on access to health services was a major concern.

"People in the north-west rely on air services the same way people in the city rely on Uber, taxis, and public transport," she said.