Bonza’s First Aircraft Touches Down In Australia

Bonza’s first plane landed at Sunshine Coast Airport, a massive regional win.

Sunshine Coast Airport was awarded the nation’s first Bonza base and head office location in February, one of the most significant launch announcements in Australian aviation history.

The arrival of the first aircraft, which departed Seattle on July 29, flew to Honolulu on July 30 and then left Fiji early Monday morning, is a significant milestone for the company and supports its continued regulatory momentum.

It is Australia’s first Boeing 737 MAX and will be part of a fleet of brand new, fuel-efficient aircraft.

They will serve Australian passengers flying to an initial 17 locations on 27 trips.

Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, the Whitsundays Coast, and Rockhampton (Queensland); Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Newcastle, Albury, and Tamworth (NSW); and Melbourne, Avalon, and Mildura (Victoria).

Bonza, which wants to be operational by late September, must recruit 200 pilot and cabin crew positions across its network, with 100 of those “Legends” headquartered on the Sunshine Coast.

Tim Jordan, CEO of Bonza, said the company was “overjoyed” to welcome its first aircraft to Sunshine Coast Airport.

“With so much excitement about Bonza across the country, we hope it is also exciting for the areas we’ll be travelling to,” he said.

“Our team of legends has been working tirelessly behind the scenes to achieve this huge milestone; therefore, we had to be present to greet flight AB 001 together.”

We are one step closer to providing more Australians with simple, low-cost travel options to additional vacation and family-visiting places.”

The interior of the plane will be finished in Australia. It will be utilised as a spare aircraft, demonstrating a solid investment in customer service and part of Bonza’s strategy to minimise any delays to its clients whenever possible.

Additional planes will follow, eventually supporting Bonza’s expansion goals beyond its current Sunshine Coast and Melbourne bases.

Bonza revealed its IATA code as ‘AB’ earlier this month as a compliment to Andrew Brodie and his colleagues, who welcomed Bonza to the Sunshine Coast as its home headquarters. It also depicts Bonza’s aim of getting clients from point A to point B without using a third party (cost and complexity).

Sunshine Coast Airport CEO Andrew Brodie said during the arrival, “The arrival of Bonza’s first aircraft onto the Sunshine Coast is a landmark day for the region.”

“We are honoured to be recognised as Bonza’s home base.”

Our collaboration with Bonza will benefit the region, the state, and the community by connecting more people to more locations and bringing them closer to the moments that matter most.”

“The coming of Bonza is a game changer for the Sunshine Coast, creating more local jobs and propelling tourism and economic growth across the region,” Brodie added.

Aussies are encouraged to download the Fly Bonza app, which will be the only place to book directly.