Bonza is adjusting its network to reflect demand and enhance reliability as it pioneers a new airline concept downunder.

Bonza will drop flights on five routes, reducing capacity on others while increasing capacity on the top-selling services.

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The move is not unexpected as the airline has pioneered routes which have never seen an airline service and not all were going to work. Bonza has carried over 330,000 passengers since it started operations earlier this year and overall is getting solid reviews.

Bonza like all Australian airlines has been hit with reliability issues in the post-COVID recovery period.

Carly Povey, the airline’s Chief Commercial Officer, said that five routes (Sunshine Coast to Coffs Harbour, Sunshine Coast to Port Macquarie, Sunshine Coast to Tamworth, Cairns to Mackay and Toowoomba Wellcamp to Whitsunday Coast) will be removed from the airline’s initial route map whilst other routes will have their frequencies reduced. Ms Povery added that three of the many strong performing routes, namely Sunshine Coast to Albury, Sunshine Coast to Melbourne (Avalon) plus Melbourne to Port Macquarie, will get an additional flight each week.

“We’ve been compelled to take out five routes where there isn’t sustainable demand at present. Twenty-two routes remain and where there is very strong demand, we’re also starting to add in additional flights which is very positive this early on in Bonza’s journey,” said Povey.

Ms Povey in a letter published today said the airline needed to earn the trust of Australian travellers and thus had taken a step back to allow services to become more reliable.

Customers booked on routes impacted (from 1st August to 28th October) will be contacted by the airline via SMS and will automatically receive a full refund or alternate flights with Bonza, depending on their scenario.

“To those customers who have or will face a cancelled flight - we apologise. Please wait for our team to contact you.

By stabilising reliability, Povey says the airline will then move forward with growth plans which include going on sale with flights from late October 2023 to April 2024 (including Christmas & Easter peak periods), establishing a third base which will mean additional job opportunities, new routes to existing and new destinations enabled by the introduction of additional aircraft.