Low-cost airline Bonza sees potential in NT destinations

New budget airline Bonza would ‘love’ to add Northern Territory destinations to its network. Read what it needs to make it happen.

New low-cost airline Bonza would “love” to add Northern Territory destinations, including Alice Springs, to its network.

In response to questions about the potential for Bonza to fly in and out of Alice Springs and Yulara, Bonza chief commercial officer Carley Povey said it would love to add Northern Territory destinations to its network in the future.

“We’d love to see our purple aircraft in the Northern Territory skies,” she said.

Bonza offers flights for as low as $49 in New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland, but is yet to add the Northern Territory as a destination.

“To enable that, we need commercial terms in place with Territory airports that allow us to support the wider community and tourism industry, by giving them the ability to travel at low-cost prices.”

It comes on the back of Alice Springs deputy mayor Eli Melky calling for an alliance of hard-hit tourist towns to demand affordable flights after Qantas cut 30,000 seats from its Alice Springs and Yulara flights.

Bonza took its first maiden flight from the Sunshine Coast to the Whitsundays in Queensland at the end of January, marketing flights for as little as $49.

At the announcement of its launch in February last year, Bonza CEO Tim Jordan said 80 per cent of the routes it planned to fly to were currently unserviced.

The airline gained popularity before its launch after a call out for public suggestions saw it name its three aircraft Shazza, Bazza and Sheila respectively.

Bonza currently flies to 17 destinations in Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria.