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Low-cost carrier Bonza has officially completed the rollout of its home base on the Sunshine Coast with the launch of flights to Tamworth in NSW.
The Sunshine Coast to Tamworth route is the 13th and final to launch from the Sunshine Coast as part of Bonza’s initial network plans. The airline is set to fly twice weekly between the two cities, bringing its total flights from the Sunshine Coast base to 39 per week.
Following its inaugural flight on 31 January, Bonza has since carried more than 60,000 passengers on its Sunshine Coast routes, with the most popular destinations from its home base including Albury, Avalon, Cairns, Melbourne (Tullamarine), and Townsville.
“Today we complete the rollout of our initial route map from our Sunshine Coast base. Customer feedback and support from the community has been phenomenal. Now all 13 routes are wheels up from the Sunny Coast, our team of legends is focusing on earning the right to grow,” said Bonza’s chief commercial officer Carly Povey.
“Our partnership with Sunshine Coast Airport as Bonza’s home base is nothing short of Bonza. The collaboration and support from the airport to get Bonza wheels up has been incredible, right from ground operations to marketing and community engagement. We would like to thank them for their ongoing partnership and look forward to a Bonza future together.”
Sunshine Coast Airport CEO Andrew Brodie congratulated Bonza on what he said was a significant step both for the carrier and for the airport.
“Bonza is now wheels up from its home base marking a major milestone for the airport as we look forward to a bright future with Australia’s newest airline, future infrastructure upgrades and the 2032 Olympics,” he said.
“My message to locals on the Sunshine Coast is to get behind Bonza and forget the long car rides or connecting flights via major city airports. It’s time to explore your own backyard with low-cost flights direct from the Sunshine Coast.”
Bonza is the first Australian operator to attempt to fly so-called “point-to-point” leisure services that skip out major cities and allow consumers to fly direct from holiday destination to holiday destination.
The business has said 93 per cent of its final network – 25 out of its 27 routes – is not currently flown by any other airline, while 96 per cent is not served by any other low-cost carrier. Many traditional carriers have argued their model would not work in Australia.
Bonza also claims to have notched up over 100,000 bookings through its Fly Bonza app alone – enough to fill more than 500 flights.
