Jake Nelson

A source with knowledge of the situation said it was never Bonza’s job to pay the leases on its fleet of 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which have sat grounded since Tuesday after being repossessed by the lessor, AIP Capital.

The addition of Palau, which is part of Micronesia and lies north of Papua New Guinea and east of the Philippines, gives Brisbane the highest number of Pacific connections out of any Australian airport, with a total of 14.

777 Partners, which is believed to have held around 24 per cent of Flair, has seen its stake reduced to almost nothing, according to sources cited in the Australian Financial Review. The Miami-based venture capital firm is also a part owner of Bonza, which entered voluntary administration this week.

Speaking exclusively to Australian Aviation, Bradley Davren, CEO of AVCRO, which has provided MRO services to Bonza since the airline’s inception, said that the stricken low-cost carrier was a viable business before entering voluntary administration on Tuesday afternoon due to a lack of aircraft.

In a statement released on Wednesday afternoon, administrator Hall Chadwick said Bonza’s four 737 MAX 8s, which were seized early Tuesday morning in a move that reportedly blindsided the airline, will remain on the tarmac until next week at the earliest.

Darwin City Council, which is embroiled in a dispute with the airport over what it says is more than $1 million owed in rate equivalent payments, said that despite DIA owner Airport Development Group’s (ADG) assertion earlier this week, no such offer has yet been forthcoming.