Air aviation news – The chief executive of Bonza (AB, Sunshine Coast) has said the carrier could open a base at Sydney Kingsford Smith and start flights from Australia’s biggest city if only he could secure the appropriate slots at the airport.
Speaking in Canberra at an Australian government Select Senate Committee hearing on bilateral air service agreements on September 27, Tim Jordan said he would like to base four aircraft in Sydney and fly from there to eight regional destinations. He would need to secure four morning-peak and four afternoon slot pairs but claimed he was told not to bother applying.
“Our initial experience from our Melbourne Tullamarine aircraft base is a strong indication of what could be achieved in Sydney,” he said. “In Melbourne, we started service on nine routes, with seven of those routes not operated by any other airline. This can certainly be repeated in Sydney. The required slots would represent less than 10% of the available seasonal slots that are either cancelled on a daily basis or allocated and then unused by incumbents,…
Sydney Airport slot regime review likely says minister
12.09.2023 – 01:56 UTCThe Australian government has indicated it will look at reforming the slot regime at Sydney Kingsford Smith, Australia’s busiest airport that is served by 55 airlines but dominated by three – Qantas, Jetstar Airways, and Virgin Australia.
The government released its Aviation Green Paper on September 7, a precursor to developing the Aviation White Paper. The government is touting the forthcoming White Paper as influencing the country’s aviation policy through the middle of the century. Recommendations on how to improve slot management at Sydney Airport were made in 2020 by a government-commissioned independent review. Those recommendations have been ignored to date, but last week, Transport Minister Catherine King said that could change.
“The Government is considering the recommendations from the Review of the Sydney Airport Demand Management Scheme,” King said in a September 7 statement. “We have recently concluded targeted consultation regarding potential changes to the Scheme, with a particular eye to modernising the slot allocation framework and strengthening compliance measures to ensure that slots are not being misused by airlines. I will have…
Australia’s Bonza, Canada’s Flair in reciprocal ACMI deal
07.08.2023 – 02:11 UTCBonza (AB, Sunshine Coast) will wet-lease two B737-8s from fellow 777 Partners-backed carrier Flair Airlines (F8, Kelowna) to kickstart flights from its Gold Coast Coolangatta base. The “strategic partnership” will see the Canadian operator send aircraft to Australia during the Northern Hemisphere’s slower winter season, while in the future, the Australian start-up will return the favour during its down season.
“At a time where aircraft demand is high and supply chain challenges reign, Bonza is benefiting from a strategic partnership with Flair Airlines in Canada,” said Bonza CEO Tim Jordan. “The Canadian ultra-low-cost carrier reached out to support the commencement of operations at Bonza’s Gold Coast base pre Christmas – a partnership that recognises the differing seasonal peaks between the two airlines. This is a reciprocal partnership that both airlines intend to leverage for many years to come.”
Bonza presently flies four B737-8s, all sourced from owner 777 Partners. However, the US investment fund has reneged on promises to deliver additional aircraft, determining that they have higher priorities elsewhere. Consequently,…
Australia’s Bonza adds ACMI capacity, opens Gold Coast base
02.08.2023 – 01:06 UTCBonza (AB, Sunshine Coast) will wet-lease two aircraft and open a third base at Gold Coast Coolangatta in time for the Australian 2023/24 summer. The low-cost carrier, which does not presently fly into the airport, will progressively open 11 new routes to existing destinations from the airport from November.
Queensland Airports Limited (QAL), owners of Gold Coast Coolangatta Airport, Australia’s sixth busiest in terms of passenger numbers, says it reached “a deal” with Bonza to start flights. The airport was something of a surprise omission from Bonza’s initial route rollout. However, Bonza CEO Tim Jordan later told ch-aviation that the airports that showed the most interest and offered the best deals were top of the initial list. QAL declined to comment on any concessions or incentives provided to Bonza to start flights from Gold Coast Coolangatta.
Bonza says it will operate 70 roundtrips a week to and from Gold Coast Coolangatta, initially to Albury, Bundaberg, Cairns, Gladstone, Mackay, Melbourne Avalon, Melbourne Tullamarine, Mildura, Rockhampton, Proserpine…
Editorial Comment: Bonza advises that Flair Airlines (Canada) will provide the wet leased aircraft under a “partnership that recognises the differing seasonal peaks between the two airlines,” adding that both airlines intend to leverage the arrangement in for many years to come. – 03.08.2023 – 04:29 UTC
source:https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/133724-australias-bonza-inducts-first-wet-leased-max-8
