Australia's Bonza commences scheduled passenger ops

Australian low-cost startup Bonza (BNZ, Sunshine Coast) is commencing scheduled passenger operations on January 31, 2023, with a roundtrip flight between its Maroochydore/Sunshine Coast Airport base and Proserpine, located midway up the Queensland coastline. Bonza is the first Australia-based operator of the B737 MAX type, with the inaugural flight also becoming the first scheduled domestic service in Australia to use the MAX.

A B737-8 registered as VH-UIK (msn 43975), operating flight AB777, departed Maroochydore on the morning of January 31 (local time). While the flight was largely filled with media and other invited guests, the remaining seats were made available to the general public on a paid bases last week. The return service, AB778, also carrying fare-paying passengers, heads back to Maroochydore later in the day.

Bonza CEO Tim Jordan says passengers can expect "a fresh approach to flying" with a focus on quality while keeping operating costs down. Maroochydore/Sunshine Coast Airport Chief Executive Officer, Andrew Brodie, who encouraged Bonza to establish their base there with a range of incentives, says Bonza will provide 772,000 seats in and out of the airport over the next 12 months.

In addition to VH-UIK, Bonza has two more B737-8s at Maroochydore; VH-UJK (msn 43974) and VH-UJT (msn 62533). A fourth aircraft, VH-UBI (msn 60388) remains in Tucson International. ch-aviation research has identified another six B737-8s flagged to go to Bonza. Three were originally to go to NordStar (Y7, Norilsk) but not taken up and three were due to go to LOT Polish Airlines (LO, Warsaw Chopin) and also not taken up. The aircraft are VH-UQI, VH-UNN (msn 44304), VH-UQP (msn 44305), VH-UMQ (msn 43957), VH-UKH (msn 61864), and VH-UDV (msn 43973).

The 777 Partners-backed Bonza plans to roll out across 27 routes serving 11 destinations up and down Australia's east coast, including 11 routes from Maroochydore. The airline is flying regional sectors on a low-frequency basis (two to four times a week) and except for Melbourne Tullamarine, avoiding capital cities, including Australia's busiest airport, Sydney Kingsford Smith.

Initially, Bonza has announced flight start dates and schedules for 15 routes. In addition to the Maroochydore - Prosperine route, the details of the first routes are;


Maroochydore - Mackay - three times a week from February 14;

Maroochydore - Melbourne Avalon - three times a week from February 21;

Maroochydore - Townsville - three times a week from February 22;

Maroochydore - Rockhampton - three times a week from March 13;

Rockhampton - Townsville - three times a week from March 24;

Maroochydore - Cairns - five times a week from March 27;

Maroochydore - Newcastle Williamtown - three times a week from March 28;

Cairns - Mackay - twice a week from March 29;

Newcastle Williamtown - Proserpine - twice a week from March 30;

Cairns - Rockhampton - twice a week from March 31;

Maroochydore - Proserpine - three times a week from March 31;

Maroochydore - Mildura - twice a week from April 4;

Maroochydore - Albury - twice a week from April 7;

Maroochydore - Port Macquarie - twice a week from April 12; and

Maroochydore - Coffs Harbour - twice a week from April 20.


CH Aviation / Bonza

BONZA / B737 MAX 8 / VH-UIK

 Brian Worthington

Bonza’s First Boeing 737 MAX Arrives in Australia

- Bonza becomes first Australian airline to take delivery of the new 737 MAX

- New carrier will launch operations to 17 destinations on 27 routes across Australia with super-efficient 737-8 fleet

MARCOOLA, Australia, Aug. 1, 2022 – Boeing [NYSE:BA] has delivered the first 737-8 airplane to Bonza, a new carrier that becomes the first Australian airline to fly the new 737 MAX. Today, Bonza held an arrival ceremony to commemorate the milestone and welcome the arrival of the fuel-efficient 737-8 at its Sunshine Coast base.

“We are beyond excited to welcome our first 737 MAX to Sunshine Coast Airport and with so much buzz around the country for Bonza, we hope today is also exciting for the communities we’ll be flying to,” said Tim Jordan, CEO of Bonza. “Our teams have been working hard behind the scenes to reach this significant milestone and we cannot wait to launch operations in the near future. The efficiency, reliability and overall capability of the 737 MAX will enable us to provide our customers with low-cost flights and the highest level of comfort onboard.”

“This is a tremendous milestone for Bonza and Boeing as the airline joins many operators around the world who have launched service with the 737 MAX,” said Christy Reese, vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing Asia Pacific, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. “Bonza has created a new business model to create new markets in Australia’s dynamic commercial aviation market. We are confident that the fuel-efficient 737-8 airplanes will enable the airline to provide their passengers with a comfortable flying experience and a more sustainable option to travel throughout the country.”

The 737-8 will enable Bonza to optimize its domestic operations, while reducing fuel use and carbon emissions by 20% and creating a 50% smaller noise footprint compared to previous generation airplanes. The 737 MAX family has the latest CFM International LEAP-1B engines, advanced technology winglets and other aerodynamic enhancements to improve performance and reduce operating costs. More than 40 airlines globally are operating the 737 MAX, which has made over 720,000 revenue flights totaling more than 1.8 million flight hours since late 2020.

Based in Australia’s Sunshine Coast, Bonza has signaled a commitment to add seven 737 MAX airplanes to its fleet within its first year of operation. The airline is working hard to commence flights as soon as late September subject to regulatory approval. The airline has also launched a nationwide contest on social media platforms to ask locals to help name its airplanes.

As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing's diverse team is committed to innovating for the future, leading with sustainability, and cultivating a culture based on the company's core values of safety, quality and integrity. Join our team and find your purpose at boeing.com/careers.

 

New start-up in Australia: Bonza

Bonza is the name of a new start-up in Australia, and is set to become the country's first independent low-cost airline. The start-up plans to launch flights early next year and will, initially, only fly domestic.

The airline is founded by a former executive of Cebu Pacific and Virgin Austrlia and is backed by private investment firm 777 Partners, which also has investments in Canadian low-cost carrier Flair Airlines and the Value Alliance, a network of low-cost Asian airlines consisting of Cebu Pacific, Jeju Air, Nok Air and Scoot.

Bonza is planning to operate the B737-8, of which 777 Partners has so far ordered 32 with Boeing directly, and which will go to both Flair and Bonza.

Illustration by Bonza.

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