Bonza a step closer to takeoff with arrival of its first Boeing 737 Max 8
New budget airline Bonza is a big step closer to takeoff after welcoming its first aircraft, a Boeing 737 Max 8.
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New budget airline Bonza is a big step closer to takeoff after welcoming its first aircraft, a Boeing 737 Max 8.
Emblazoned in Bonza’s purple and white livery, the 737 Max touched down at Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast on Monday morning, after a three-stage trip from Seattle in the US.
It’s the first aircraft of its type to be based in Australia and will be joined by two more before Bonza’s planned launch in late September.
The airline’s CEO Tim Jordan said they were “beyond excited” to welcome flight AB001 to their home base at Sunshine Coast Airport.
“This is an exciting time for Australian aviation and most importantly the Aussie travelling public who will now enjoy more choice,” Mr Jordan said.
Bonza’s initial flight network covers 27 routes and 17 destinations including Melbourne, Cairns, Mildura, Tamworth, Newcastle, Coffs Harbour, Gladstone and Mackay.
Mr Jordan said 93 per cent of Bonza’s routes were currently not served by another airline and 96 per cent were not operated by another low-cost carrier.
Flights are expected to go on sale soon via the Bonza app, costing about $50 for each hour in the air, inclusive of 8kg of carry-on luggage.
A crowd of wellwishers greeted the Boeing 737 Max 8, including Sunshine Coast Airport CEO Andrew Brodie.
He said the landing was a “momentous day for the region”, which will benefit from low-cost connections to 13 destinations, including 12 not currently serviced by an airline.
“We are very proud to be named as the home base for Bonza, which will benefit the region, the state and communities across Australia by connecting more people to more places, bringing them closer to the moments that matter most,” Mr Brodie said.
“Our focus for the future is about teaming up with like-minded people and business to achieve shared outcomes, and our partnership with Bonza is testament to this.”
In honour of Mr Brodie’s backing of Bonza, the airline adopted his initials AB as their official International Air Transport Association code.
Mr Jordan said the code also represented Bonza’s mission to carry passengers from “A to B without the C – cost and complexity”.
The Max 8 will undergo a cabin fit-out in Australia while Bonza awaits regulatory approval to operate.
Recruitment is also continuing for the airline, which will also have a base in Melbourne.
Bonza is backed by US-based investment firm 777 Partners, which recently ordered 30 Boeing 737 Max 8s for the Australian carrier and Canada’s Flair Airlines.
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