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Bonza has carried 70,000 passengers on its Whitsunday Coast services since it began operating to the holiday destination last January.
Whitsunday Coast was the destination for Bonza’s inaugural flight from the Sunshine Coast on 31 January 2023, with the low-cost carrier now serving Newcastle, the Sunshine Coast, and the Gold Coast from Whitsunday Coast Airport.
“The additional 70‚000 passengers from Bonza has been the catalyst for Whitsunday Coast Airport to be on track for another record-breaking year. We anticipate 540‚000 passengers to transit through the airport by the end of this financial year‚ which will see an increase of 13 per cent‚” said Craig Turner‚ director of commercial business at Whitsunday Coast Airport.
“This wouldn’t be possible without the additional three routes that Bonza services and we look forward to our continued work and increasing our destinations with them.”
Bonza CEO Tim Jordan noted that the 70,000 passengers it has flown to and from the Whitsunday Coast are double the area’s population, and thanked locals for supporting the airline.
“We want to democratise air travel in Australia so that everyone has the opportunity to access affordable flights,” he said.
“What we’re hearing from customers is that because they’ve saved through Bonza’s low-cost airfares, they in turn have more money to spend whilst on holidays in tourism destinations like the Whitsunday Coast‚ which has an immediate benefit to locals and their communities.”
Bonza initially served Toowoomba from the Whitsunday Coast as well, but axed the route on 1 August last year due to low demand as part of a larger reorganisation of services.
Toowoomba itself has seen 50,000 Bonza passengers fly in and out since its service was launched in April last year, and is currently served by two Bonza routes to Townsville and Melbourne (Tullamarine).
Kellie Banditt, Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport’s general manager, said the airline has “made a significant impact for locals, allowing accessibility and convenience for interstate and intrastate travel”.
“Bonza has been a key contributor to Wellcamp Airport reaching record passengers in 2023/24 as well as the positive economic impact on the city highlighting the opportunities for tourism and business growth,” she said.
“The support Bonza has received from residents has been outstanding. Hopefully‚ this will open up other opportunities for more destinations out of Wellcamp Airport.”
