Bonza chalks up 750,000 passengers in its first year

Bonza currently serves 21 destinations, with 84 per cent of its 38 routes not served by any other airline and 89 per cent not served by any other low-cost carrier. Its inaugural flight on 31 January, 2023, from the Sunshine Coast to the Whitsunday Coast, followed delays in CASA approval, with the airline eventually being granted its Air Operator Certificate on 12 January.

According to CEO Tim Jordan, the airline is planning to open a fourth base – adding to its existing bases on the Sunshine Coast, Melbourne, and the Gold Coast – by the end of the year, as well as adding more aircraft to its fleet and opening up new routes.

“We’ve got big plans for 2024 and the Aussie public will benefit. We’re predicting we’ll save domestic travellers somewhere in the vicinity of an additional $250 million this coming year. Competition in Australian skies is a great thing for Aussie travellers and over 750,000 customers have already experienced the benefits of Bonza,” he said.

“We’d also like to thank our customers who have supported us during this year of firsts. Like any new business we know that we don’t always get things right all of the time, but at Bonza we learn quickly and we will go again as our customers have shown us that there certainly is a Bonza sized opportunity in the Australian aviation market.”

The airline now employs more than 300 people around the country and has four of its own aircraft, with a further two wet-leased from Canadian sister airline Flair to serve Bonza’s Gold Coast base.

“We have an amazing team of Bonza legends who have worked so hard to make Bonza what it is today,” said Jordan.

“Our legends are incredibly proud to be growing an airline that has a mission to connect Australia and its underserved regional and leisure centres and we’re all excited for what’s to come in the year ahead.”

Bonza was able to launch its Gold Coast base on 19 December after receiving approval from CASA for the Flair aircraft and crews to operate under its AOC. It had been forced to push back the rollout due to the lengthy approvals process.

The carrier is expecting its fifth 737 MAX 8, “Matilda”, to arrive this year, and claimed in December to have flown 650,000 passengers since its launch.