What’s purple and white and will fly kids and carers around Australia?
The answer is a new low-cost airline, called Bonza, which in Aussie slang means ‘great’ or ‘fantastic’.
As in, “We had a bonza night at the pub”.
Founded by former Virgin Blue and Cebu Pacific executive, Tim Jordan,
and backed by US private investment firm 777 Partners, the independent
low-cost carrier will avoid stiff competition on the
Sydney-Melbourne-Brisbane triangle when it launches early next year, and
instead focus on new regional leisure routes.
"Bonza will play a leading role in Australia's post-pandemic economic
recovery — creating jobs, stimulating travel and consumer spending and
helping regional communities, especially those that rely on tourism, get
back on their feet," Jordan said.
He saw the opportunity to launch a new low-cost carrier in Australia
when Virgin Australia folded its low-cost Tiger Australia brand, blaming
the Covid-19 pandemic.
Tiger was one of several low-cost start-ups whose corpses are littered across Australia’s aviation landscape.
Bonza plans to fly Boeing Max 8 aircraft in a purple and white livery
and intends to market its low fares to “tradies [trades people],
teachers, kids and carers”.
Bonza will be the first to fly the troubled Max 8 in Australia.
“The aircraft is approved by Australia’s authorities for airlines
currently operating into Australia and regulators around the world have
certified that the aircraft is absolutely very safe to fly,” Jordan
said.
Bonza's backers 777 Partners have previously invested in the
pan-regional Value Alliance, whose LCC members include Scoot, Cebu
Pacific and South Korea’s Jeju Air.