Traffic #393 | Bonza repossessions, A220s, A330 and E190s

Bonza carnage as planes repossessed overnight

A sad day for Australia’s commercial airline market as its latest competitive addition Bonza has hit major turbulence, causing possibly fatal damage to the embattled start-up. The airline’s entire fleet of new Boeing 737 MAX jets was repossessed overnight on 30 April, in a move that reportedly caught CEO Tim Jordan by surprise, with the airline entering voluntary administration hours later. Rumours suggest the repossession move is linked to a restructure of Bonza’s bankroller 777 Partners, and its ambitious move to take over the Everton English Premier League team.

All five of Bonza’s active jets – one of which was wet-leased from Canada-based sister company Flair Airlines – remain on the ground here at home, for now. Bonza had held two wet-leased MAX jets from Flair, which were slated to soon switch to a dry-lease agreement. One of the jets, C-FHLI, had even been assigned with the CASA registration VH-8AV, according to Planespotters. However, this registration was never formally taken up by Bonza, and the aircraft is now grounded at Sunshine Coast Airport. The other wet-leased jet, C-FLKC, has already been returned to Flair in Canada.