Jake Nelson

ASLA, formerly Pionair, is based at Bankstown Airport and offers passenger and cargo charter and wet-leasing services across Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands. The new freighter, VH-CYK, is its first B737-800BCF, with the airline primarily operating the BAe146.

Tony Brun, who has served as Avalon’s CEO since the exit of Justin Giddings in October 2022, announced that he was stepping down from his role at Melbourne’s secondary airport to take up “a new Chief Executive opportunity in Saudi Arabia”.

Tony Brun told Australian Aviation Bonza was down to five Avalon services per week on two routes – Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast – when it went into voluntary administration late last month, and that Jetstar’s upcoming Brisbane service is going to bring more total passengers than “all of Bonza”.

The Tourism and Transport Forum (TTF), Airbus, and zero-emissions aircraft firm AMSL Aero have all backed the sustainability funding, which aims to promote domestic production of SAF and other green fuels like renewable hydrogen.

The event, running from 16 to 18 August, will include displays from the RAAF’s 100 Heritage Squadron, United States Marine Corps MV-22s, Matt Hall and Emma McDonald, Gold Coast Skydive, Air Force Roulettes, Westpac Lifesaver Rescue Helicopter, and the United States Navy Leap Frogs.

According to data from YouGov’s BrandIndex survey, most Australians have heard of the suspension of Bonza services, with perceptions of the embattled airline taking a sharp nosedive after it abruptly suspended all flights at the end of April.