It was the all-Australian airline that took on the big guys and lost.
Bonza Airlines – its named derived from Aussie slang describing
something as ‘wonderful’ – gave its aircraft names like Bazza and Shazza
but, ultimately, the ploy of playing on emotional attachment to the
little guy taking on the giants was not enough to save the carrier from
voluntary administration this week.
Like others before them, Bonza – officially launched just last year -
attempted to eke out an existence flying mainly to regional cities in
eastern and central Australia, targeting gaps in the schedules of
Qantas and Virgin Australia, which carry more than 90% of passengers in
Australia.
But without take-off and landing slots at Sydney, it was always going to be a big leap to profitability for Bonza.
Bonza's leased planes - a Boeing 737 Max fleet - were repossessed by
creditors on Tuesday, making a revival of operations difficult, despite
the carrier’s statement that “discussions are currently underway
regarding the ongoing viability of the business”.
“We apologise to our customers who are impacted by this and we’re
working as quickly as possible to determine a way forward that ensures
there is ongoing competition in the Australian domestic aviation
market,” the airline said.
Bonza’s backer is US financier 777 Partners which makes it likely
that the fate of Bonza and its 150 employees will be decided in Miami
rather than the airline’s base in Sunshine Coast, Queensland.