Background

Bonza was founded in October 2021 by former Virgin Blue executive Tim Jordan.^[1][2] U.S. investment firm 777 Partners were the inaugural investors and backers.^[1][3]

The airline signalled its intention to disassociate from the main cities of Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane,^[1] instead setting up its headquarters at Sunshine Coast Airport^[4] with the aim of growing the market by focusing on under-utilised and unserved routes between regional and domestic cities through a point-to-point network model, similar to that of Ryanair in Europe.^[5][6] As a low-cost carrier, Bonza launched without a frequent-flyer program or airport lounges^[1] and limited bookings solely to its FlyBonza app.^[7] To differentiate themselves from other airlines, Bonza launched as a "Bogan airline", appealing to the bogan Australian culture by offering items and services associated with bogans such as airline branded swim briefs known as budgie smugglers, food typically found at a school tuckshop, and the staff being labelled as "Legends".^[8]

First Base and Launch

Bonza initially revealed its intention to begin flying by early 2022.^[1][2] However, its first routes were only announced in February 2022,^[9] and the airline did not receive its air operator's certificate (AOC) from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority until 12 January 2023.^[10][11]

Sales for routes from the Sunshine Coast base began on 27 January 2023 after Bonza had received its AOC. There were eleven initial destinations:

A Bonza Boeing 737 MAX 8 landing at Avalon Airport after a test flight in December 2022.

The airline's initial route map also consisted of several other routes:

• Cairns - Rockhampton
• Cairns - Mackay
• Newcastle - Whitsunday Coast
• Rockhampton - Townsville.^[12]

Bonza commenced operations on 31 January 2023, flying from its base at Sunshine Coast to the Whitsundays.^[13] They initiated services with Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft^[14] in an all-economy configuration,^[15] becoming the first Australian airline to operate the Boeing 737 MAX.^[16][17][18]

Second Base

When announcing its initial network in February 2022, the airline also announced a second base in Melbourne.^[9]

Tickets for flights to/from the Melbourne base were put on sale on 23 February 2023, with flights to:

Additionally, the airline also launched sales for several other routes:

• Toowoomba - Townsville
• Toowoomba - Whitsunday Coast

• Sunshine Coast - Tamworth.^[19]

Flights from the Melbourne base commenced on 30 March 2023 with the inaugural flight to the Sunshine Coast.^[20]

Reliability Issues and Network Changes

Travel Weekly reported in late June that Bonza was attributing a recent increase in flight cancellations to an industry-wide pilot shortage. The airline had cancelled 4% of its flights since February, and had cancelled seven flights that were scheduled to operate in July. The airline's chief operating officer Carly Povey cited crew shortages, a pilot training program that was behind schedule, and aircraft that were temporarily put out of action due to bird strikes and weather events as some of the other causes of the reliability issues.^[21]

On 13 July 2023, Bonza announced it would scrap five routes:

• Sunshine Coast - Port Macquarie
• Sunshine Coast - Tamworth
• Sunshine Coast - Coffs Harbour
• Toowoomba - Whitsunday Coast
• Cairns - Mackay.

Whilst the ABC reported Povey stating that the changes were due to a lack of demand,^[22] an open letter published on Bonza's website from Povey addressed to the airline's passengers noted that the airline had faced reliability issues and was delaying or cancelling flights, and that changes would allow the airline to focus on routes with "sustainable demand" and also provide spare capacity to mitigate delays and cancellations in case of reliability issues in the future. Apart from the cancelled routes, Bonza also announced frequency reductions by one weekly flight for several routes, and the addition of one weekly service to three routes: Sunshine Coast - Albury, Sunshine Coast - Melbourne (Avalon) and Melbourne (Tullamarine) - Port Macquarie.

The open letter also announced that sales for flights between late October 2023 and April 2024 would commence soon, and that work to establish a third base was progressing.^[23]

Third Base

On 1 August 2023, Bonza announced it would open its third base at Gold Coast Airport to coincide with the beginning of the summer holidays.^[24] Flights would commence from the new base progressively starting in November, with routes from the Gold Coast to eleven destinations on the airline's existing route network:

The airline's media release also mentioned that due to global aircraft supply challenges, it would partner with a wet leasing provider to source the additional aircraft required to operate routes from the base.^[25]

A few days later, Simple Flying reported that a reciprocal wet lease agreement had been entered into with Flair Airlines, which is also backed by 777 Partners and operates a fleet consisting entirely of the Boeing 737. Under the agreement, Bonza would send aircraft and crew to Canada to operate on Flair Airlines routes during the North American peak travel season, and Flair Airlines would do the same with their aircraft and crew for Bonza during the Australian peak travel season, hence providing additional capacity for both airlines during peak travel periods. Flair Airlines stated that it would wet lease two aircraft to Bonza for its Gold Coast base.^[26]

On 24 August 2023, Bonza announced an additional route from the Gold Coast to Launceston, and hinted at additional routes from Launceston to be announced in the future. The route announcement marks the airline's entry into Tasmania, the fourth state to be serviced by the airline. Flights on the Gold Coast - Launceston route would start in November, around the same time as flights on the previously announced 11 routes would commence.^[27]

On 18 September 2023, a twice-weekly Gold Coast to Mount Isa route was announced, which would commence on 5 December 2023.^[28]

Two days later, the airline announced and launched sales for three new twice-weekly routes: Sunshine Coast to Darwin, Gold Coast to Darwin and Melbourne to Alice Springs. The launch of the routes will mark the airline's entry into the Northern Territory, its fifth Australian state or territory, which were the result of Northern Territory Government subsidies provided through its Territory Aviation Attraction Scheme, and the 20th and 21st destinations on its network.^[29] On 30 November 2023 the airline cancelled all planned flights between Darwin and the Gold Coast during December, only hours before the first scheduled flight on the route.^[30]

In late September, Bonza announced and launched Bonza Holidays, a package holiday booking scheme that bundles accommodation with flights and optional travel insurance.^[31]