“It really is a game-changing day for Australian aviation,a long time in the making,” Bonza CEO Tim Jordan said. “We’re here at the start line and we will be changing the aviation environment for the better,for the many.”
Bonza has leaned into “bogan” Australian culture and has a fleet of three Boeing 737 Max-8s named “Shazza,Bazza and Sheila”. No other Australian carrier operates the Max-8s,which are 20 per cent more fuel efficient.
It’s the first high-capacity,low-cost carrier to launch in Australia since now-defunct Virgin subsidiary Tigerair took off 15 years ago. Bonza is positioning itself as a leisure carrier targeting tourism destinations in regional Australia,not competing with Qantas or Virgin which service high-frequency routes.
Jordan,who is based in Coffs Harbour,did not rule out a presence in Sydney or other metropolitan cities (Melbourne is already part of Bonza’s initial network),but said the costs of flying through some airports were too high.
“Of course we have interest in places like Sydney – we can’t say we’re here for all of Australia and not service markets like Sydney. However,it has to be on a long-term commercial basis that can support our fare levels,” he said. “[Sydney Airport is] not as keen to come to the table maybe as other locations,or maybe they don’t see the opportunity. Wonderfully,the Melbourne Airport team stepped forward,” he said.
The new carrier’s first flight was not without teething issues.