Bonza Airlines has made some route changes, dumping five of its less popular destinations, and slashing less-frequented flight paths.
The changes, it says, are designed to set the airline up for long-term success.
For Newcastle passengers, it means the reduction of one mid-week flight between Newcastle and the Sunshine Coast.
Newcastle to Sunshine Coast will now operate three times a week on Tuesday, Thursday and Sunday.
In a letter penned to its loyal customer base, the airline that carried its first paying passengers out of Newcastle Airport in March 2023, explained the changes were to ensure its longevity.
“Airlines the world over often tweak their schedules and, for Bonza, this will be the first time we make changes to frequency and routes, so we wanted to be really transparent around the changes and why we feel they are really important to deliver on customer commitment,” said Bonza Airlines’ chief commercial officer Carly Povey.
“We’ve been compelled to take out five routes where there isn’t sustainable demand at present: Sunshine Coast to Coffs Harbour, Sunshine Coast to Port Macquarie, Sunshine Coast to Tamworth, Cairns to Mackay and Toowoomba Wellcamp to Whitsunday Coast.
“Twenty-two routes remain and we’re reducing some routes by one flight per week.”
The news wasn’t all bad either, with Povey adding that popular routes were expecting a welcome boost.
“Three of the many strong performing routes, namely Sunshine Coast to Albury and Melbourne (Avalon) plus Melbourne (Tullamarine) to Port Macquarie, will welcome a new service each week,” she said.
The open letter, also shared on the brand’s social media channels, stated the changes are designed to “earn the respect of Aussie travellers” and ‘set the airline up for long-term success and reduce the likelihood of cancellations’.
The changes emerge as the July school holidays come to an end in NSW – a break that rattled Sydney Airport with more than 30 flights cancelled within the first five days of the month.
“In order for us to earn your trust, as we know that we’re at the start of that journey, we have decided to take a step back to allow our services to become more reliable,” she said.
“We will be implementing a range of changes to our schedule from 1 August based on what we have learnt so far and the feedback you’ve given us with regards to route demand.
“You could say, we’re taking a step back to allow us to take a leap forward.”
Customers booked on routes impacted (from 1 August to 28 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. Australia has been waiting for a new airline and you’ve welcomed us with open arms and it is on us to deliver more consistently. These changes allow us to maintain the many great aspects of the Bonza experience whilst also doubling down on consistently delivering reliability,” she said.
Ms Povey pledged the changes announced today were focussed on setting Bonza up for the long-term so Australians can enjoy more competition in the skies for years to come.
The low-cost carrier has seen over 330,000 people choose to book with them and more than 1.25 million downloads of the airline’s app.
By stabilising reliability, she says the airline will then move forward with growth plans which includes going on sale with flights from late October 2023 to April 2024, establishing a third base which will mean additional job opportunities, new routes and new destinations enabled by the introduction of additional aircraft.
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