iscover
Issue #394: Bonza’s demise & ultra long haul
Where did Tim’s big plan go wrong?
Tim Jordan, the current – or should that be former? – CEO of Bonza is a very lovely man indeed. In the rough and tumble world of domestic aviation, his affableness knew no bounds. He would constantly make himself available for interviews at short notice and was always candid and honest in his answers to tough questions. He even dressed differently from his peers – rather than wear a suit, Jodan would almost exclusively turn up anywhere wearing his trademark Bonza black polo shirt. Now, though, his airline is liquated, having not even survived 18 months.
The narrative, at least in the mainstream media, was that Bonza was doomed from the start. It would never break the duopoly of Virgin and Qantas, they said. Their planes were too big to make their services from smaller destinations work. And being denied access to Sydney Airport would make it all but impossible for them to turn a profit. That, though, isn’t really the story. The evidence suggests Bonza’s point-to-point plan to skip out major capital city routes was working. The company claims 750,000 people flew with them during their first year in operation. That’s a deeply impressive number, given services could only be purchased via their app, and their advertising budget was relatively small.
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Why, then, did Bonza go under? This issue I investigate its demise and the role of its owners, 777 Partners. As this edition goes to print, the private equity investment firm is facing multiple lawsuits globally over its conduct, while emails obtained by newspapers suggest they were plotting to “get the planes out” of Australia a month before the plug was pulled. The question I ask is whether Tim was unfortunate or naive to trust them.
Elsewhere in the issue, Jake Nelson, our senior journalist, examines the future of ultra-long-haul services as Qantas edges towards launching Project Sunrise. Is the layover really dead, and will passengers in economy be happy to fly for more than 20 years without stretching their legs. The issue isn’t simply one of convenience; it has huge ramifications for global ‘hub’ airports such as Dubai, London, and Singapore.
Finally, all of our regulars return, including Traffic, Warbirds and Register, while our employment expert, Kirsty Ferguson, examines what the industry can do to attract those looking for a second career.
Enjoy the issue,
Adam
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