Summary

  • Bonza Airlines has launched services from the Gold Coast Airport, expanding its low-cost carrier operations and offering new routes to Townsville and other destinations.
  • The CEO of Bonza, Tim Jordan, expressed excitement about the airline’s growth and the new opportunities it will provide for domestic tourism and connecting communities.
  • The arrival of two Flair Airlines aircraft on a wet lease arrangement will enhance Bonza’s operations and allow for more destination choices, reducing costs and working towards profitability.


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The evolution of Australia’s newest airline, Bonza, took a bold stride forward yesterday when it launched services from the Gold Coast Airport, which is now the third operating base for the low-cost carrier and its growing fleet of 737 MAX narrowbodies. The inaugural flight linked the Gold Coast to the North Queensland hub of Townsville, one of 14 routes Bonza will be operating from its new base.


It all starts at the airport

Yesterday, a packed Bonza flight AB1523 departed Gold Coast Airport (OOL) at 09:12 and after a 1:45 hour flight landed at Townsville Airport (TSV) at 10:57. The flight was operated with a Boeing 737 MAX 8 named Bazza, registration VH-UIK and MSN 43975, that was built in 2019 for Polish Lot Airlines but was never taken up and actually commenced service with Bonza this year, so despite being technically a four-year-old aircraft it still has that new airplane look and feel.

Bonza Gold Coast launch

Photo: Bonza

The launch was a special day for Gold Coast Airport’s owner, Queensland Airports Limited (QAL), which also owns airports in Townsville, Mt Isa and Longreach. The Group has recently transformed Gold Coast Airport with a stunning new international arrivals and departures addition that seamlessly combines international and domestic operations under one roof. The transformation was done during the worst of the pandemic and is a testament to the commitment of QAL to Queensland aviation, and it will be reviewed in a future article.

Bonza Gold Coast Launch Amelia Evans QAL CEO

Photo: Bonza

Yesterday, QAL CEO Amelia Evans said the commencement of Bonza services will provide more seamless connections, with two of the fourteen routes linking the group’s airports in Townsville and Mt Isa directly to the Gold Coast.

“As an airport operator, creating valuable connections for the communities in which we operate is important to us and it’s great to hear already how Bonza’s new routes are opening up air travel to more people across these regions.”

Bonza CEO talks about the Flair wet lease

Simple Flying was on the flight seated next to Bonza CEO Tim Jordan, so we had plenty of time to discuss how Bonza has evolved over the course of 2023 and where it is heading, particularly around the wet lease arrangement with Canada’s Flair Airlines (Flair) that will commence in coming days. Two 737 MAX 8s have escaped the depths of a Canadian winter and, for the next three months, will be based at Gold Coast Airport as the launch aircraft from the base before returning home in time for the northern summer season and replaced with Bonza aircraft.

Bonza Tim Jordan Gold Coast launch

Photo: Bonza

Jordan said that the launch from the Gold Coast was a golden day for domestic tourism as Bonza’s starts connecting more communities in time for the peak Christmas and summer holiday period. He told Simple Flying that the arrival of the two Flair MAXs has allowed Bonza to get the new base operational in time for the peak and to have low-fare options for the thousands of families that head to the holiday paradise on the Gold Coast.

“It’s a massive day for Team Bonza and a massive day for the Gold Coast. We are all about bringing something new to the market, stimulating demand and giving customers more choice. It’s turning on brand new markets into and out of the Gold Coast for tourism and allowing communities to connect. Playing our part in allowing customers to connect with family and friends at this special time of the year is really important to us.”

Bonza Gold Coast Launch Bonza Legends Bonza-38

Photo: Bonza

Before launching the base at Gold Coast Airport, Bonza was operating bases at its home at Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY) and Melbourne Airport (MEL) with two 737 MAX 8s at each port. The arrival of the two Flair aircraft, with their operating crews, gives the airline more flexibility and firepower across the network. Simple Flying asked Jordan how that would impact Bonza’s operations.

“Very importantly what you see here is that we’re joining up some of our existing destinations out of the Sunshine Coast base, so what we’re now actually bringing is more destination choices out of markets like Mildura and Albury. That also allows us to reduce our costs in those particular areas and that in turn helps us as we get to scale.

“Aviation is about economies of scale and it is important that we reach scale as quickly as possible, and today’s launch of the Gold Coast base is part of that journey to get to scale so we can eventually head ourselves towards profitability.”

The arrival of Bonza on the Gold Coast opens a raft of new, low-cost destinations with eleven of the 14 routes not currently serviced by any other airline. Townsville is the first and over coming weeks services to Albury, Melbourne Avalon, Bundaberg, Cairns, Darwin, Gladstone, Launceston, Mackay, Mt Isa, Mildura, Rockhampton and Melbourne Tullamarine (MEL).

Bonza Gold Coast Launch Cake

Photo: Michael Doran I Simple Flying

As Simple Flying followers know, there is no launch without a cake, and the treats continued with both a ceremonial cake and boxes of cupcakes carrying IATA codes for the airport’s Bonza will connect to the Gold Coast.

Today, Simple Flying is traveling to Melbourne Tullamarine Airport (MEL) on the launch flight, which was initially planned to be the Flair 737 MAX 8. However, that aircraft has a few checks and changes to go before entering service in coming days, so watch this space.

Have you traveled with Bonza yet? Let us know in the comments.

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