Link Airways starts Bundaberg to Brisbane flights, Bonza comments

As Link Airways flew its first plane from Bundaberg to Brisbane, another airline announced more long-distance flights were on the way. It comes as planned flight schedules and prices are also revealed.

Activity is ramping up at Bundaberg Airport.

For many months, Qantas has been the only flight service running between Bundaberg and Brisbane.

But Bundaberg Airport is set to get much busier with one new service already in the air and planning to expand, while another has confirmed new flight routes are on the way.

Link Airways flew its first flight from Bundaberg to Brisbane on Monday, with CEO Andrew Major saying Bundaberg was the airline’s 10th route from Brisbane.

“We aim to provide enhanced connectivity for locals and tourists travelling between these two key destinations,” he said.

The flight time runs just over 50 minutes and operates six days a week from Sunday to Friday with a frequency of one return service per day.

From February 2023, Link Airways will expand its service to three return services a day.

Acting CEO of Bundaberg Tourism, Ellie Tonkin said the competition was good news for tourism in the region.

“Bundaberg Tourism welcomes Link Airways to the region – this addition of a second national airline to our region allows us to grow our competitive position as a national holiday destination of choice,” she said.

“Over the past three years, Bundaberg has grown our tourism industry and visitation numbers.

“Our location on the Southern Great Barrier Reef and our nature experiences, including the Mon Repos Turtle Encounters have set us apart and attracted visitors from around Australia.”

Bundaberg North Burnett Tourism’s Ellie Tonkin is excited to see extra competition in the region.

The new service will use the airline’s Saab 340B Plus planes, providing full inflight cabin service and the standard in-flight offerings, including hot and cold beverages and premium snacks with a complimentary beer or wine available on all PM flights.

Passengers flying with Link Airways on Flexible and Freedom fares from Brisbane will also be eligible to access Virgin Australia’s complimentary airport lounges.

They can also earn up to five Velocity Frequent Flyer points based on their flight fares.

Flights will start at $184 each way.

The airline, however, has not been a stranger to controversy in recent days.

Last week, Link Airways suffered an issue with a flight from Canberra to Sydney after a forgotten propeller strap penetrated the fuselage, showering the front row of the plane with debris during the early stages of take-off.

Passengers described a massive explosion and a hole in the plane, with one woman hit in the face with debris, while another was hit in the leg.

The incident was deemed “serious” and the Australian Transport Safety Bureau is investigating.

Meanwhile, Bonza Airlines, which previously announced flights from Bundaberg to Melbourne would begin this year, has provided an update on its services. The airline stopped short of confirming a date, however.

“Our team of legends are excited to start flights between Bundy and Melbourne when the time is right,” they said.

“At the moment, we are working through the regulatory process with CASA who do incredibly important work regulating aviation in Australia.

“It is wrong of us to comment on when that process will be completed.”

A Bonza spokesman said the airline would be ready to welcome passengers once everything was fully ticked off.

“We will continue to update Aussie travellers, as we previously have, as soon as we have more updates on all things Bonza,” he said.

“We know there are people keen to lock in Christmas travel plans and we would recommend they do so, we're really hopeful to be able to welcome them onboard soon when they next fly.”