Bonza Provides Update On Flying In 2023

Bonza announced it connected more than 650,000 Australians across its route network in 2023. Meanwhile, the airline has reported that 1.5 million Aussies have now downloaded the Fly Bonza app.

Breaking Down Bonza’s First Year

2023 marked the first year Bonza operated as Australia’s only independent and low-cost carrier. Ultimately, it was a year full of many hurdles but generally overarched by positive developments surrounding its operations.

With over 650,000 passengers carried across 21 destinations in Australia, Bonza proved several high-profile Australian carriers wrong that there wouldn’t be a market for the airline to succeed in.

Bonza’s emergence has meant low-cost fares have become available to people previously priced out of flying. This is massively focused on unserved and underserved markets within Australia. However, initially, there were visible concerns about whether the airline could sustain demand.

Tim Jordan, the Bonza CEO, says that based on airfares in 2022/23 from Melbourne-based routes, they’ve saved customers more than $400 per round trip. Based on their forecasts, this equates to some $100 million saved for Australians.

Ultimately, these cost-saving measures have been well received, and the Australian-like approach and service onboard have been a hit seeing travellers return.

Visible Problems

Despite a solid first year in terms of passengers carried and downloads of the app, as with any new airline, there have also been visible problems with the operation.

One of the more notable aspects has been the lack of appropriate equipment to complete operations, highlighted most recently through the delayed approval of leased Flair Airlines 737 MAX jets. As a result of these delays in obtaining approval, Bonza was forced to delay flights and cancel route commencement dates.

Given that this occurred during a busy holiday, some families lost the bulk of their funds due to corresponding bookings away from flights.

However, where Bonza has seen flaws and niggles of being a new airline, it has managed to succeed elsewhere with its unique app booking approach and other tactics implemented.

Comments From Executives

Our team of legends couldn’t be more excited to have connected more than 650,000 Aussies to this great country of ours, it’s been a big year and we’re just getting started. Travellers have embraced our mission – to connect more Aussies to their own backyard than ever before – as their own. The stories that have resonated with me most have been of the countless families and friends reuniting more often and first-time fliers seeking adventures in new destinations because that is in Bonza’s DNA. 

The feedback we have received about our onboard experience has been extraordinary and key to that success are our cabin crew legends! We love supporting Australian-owned businesses and it seems so do our customers with everything on our all Aussie menu from craft beer to snags and banana bread waffles selling fast and often.

Tim Jordan, Bonza CEO