Hundreds of seats booked after Bonza announces routes in and out of the Territory

Just more than a day after it was announced a new airline would be flying in and out of the Territory, hundreds of travellers have booked their seats. Read how the industry has responded.

Holiday-makers have already taken advantage of three new return routes just a day after news broke of Bonza’s arrival to the Territory.

Bonza will start three new routes to and from the Territory from November 29, with twice weekly flights between both the Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast to Darwin.

Another twice-weekly route will begin between Alice Springs and Melbourne.

Bonza chief executive Tim Jordan said it was a promising response in the NT.

“Since launching on Wednesday, Territorians have shown Bonza plenty of love with many hundreds of seats snapped up across all three new routes,” he said.

“Likewise, there are plenty of holiday-makers choosing Darwin and Alice Springs for their next summer adventure.”

To book a flight travellers have to download the Fly Bonza app, which Mr Jordan said was happening in spades.

“App downloads are going well and we are humbled and overwhelmed by the positive reaction across social media to our Northern Territory announcement,” he said.

“Now our focus is on delivering a Bonza experience for all Territorians.”

Tourism Top End general manager Samantha Bennett said it was great news for tourists and locals alike, particularly before the wet season.

“We’ve had a number of tourism operators that have already reached out saying ‘this is the news we wanted to hear, I’m going to stick around and stay open until Christmas now’,” she said.

“They really needed a spring in their step.”

The Queensland-Darwin fares start from $149 and the Melbourne-Alice Springs flights $139 – all of which are not sale fares but regular prices.

Mr Jordan said last-minute bookings could attract higher fares but said travellers would still save “significantly” compared to other carriers.

Bonza has revealed Darwin and Alice Springs as the airline’s newest destinations. The airline will add 12 new flights per week to and from the NT with three new routes – Sunshine Coast to Darwin, Gold Coast to Darwin and Melbourne to Alice Springs. Picture: Supplied

“We welcome the game-changing move, which will mean more affordable travel options for Territorians to leisure destinations,” Mr Jordan said.

It will mark the first time Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast visitors can fly direct to the Top End.

Bonza’s expansion is set to bring an extra 116,000 seats into the Territory each year – two-thirds of which will fly to the Top End and the rest to the Red Centre.

Tourism Central Australia chief executive Danial Rochford said the announcement was the best early Christmas present for the region.

“This is the best news we have had in a long time,” Mr Rochford said.

“TCA have been long advocating for the need for more competition in and out of Alice Springs and with this news today we will see this super charged.”

Tourism Top End general manager Samantha Bennett said it was great news for tourists and locals alike, particularly before the wet season.

Low-cost airline Bonza’s expansion to the Territory could bring up to 116,000 extra travellers to the jurisdiction every year.

“We’ve had a number of tourism operators that have already reached out saying ‘this is the news we wanted to hear, I’m going to stick around and stay open until Christmas now’,” she said.

“They really needed a spring in their step.”

It comes about two months after the NT government put $10m into a new aviation attraction scheme, designed to subsidise airlines’ costs and ultimately boost competition.

Darwin, Alice Springs and Ayers Rock (Uluru) airports can apply for a share of the funding pool, which they must match dollar-for-dollar, bringing a $20m total on offer to contending carriers.

While the deal struck with Bonza is commercial in-confidence, Mr Jordan said Bonza’s expansion to the Territory would not have been possible without the subsidy scheme.

On Monday Bonza also announced it would start flying a twice-weekly Mt Isa to Gold Coast service from early December.

Originally published as Hundreds of seats booked after Bonza announces routes in and out of the Territory