Pawan Kumar
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A new low-cost airline has been given permission to fly in regional Australia.
The industry regulator has given Bonza Airlines the green light to start flying to regional airports in Queensland and other states.
Just before 2 p.m. Queensland time, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) told Bonza that it had given it its Air Operator Certificate.
The airline will fly to a total of 17 places, 13 of which are in Queensland. These include Cairns, Townsville, the Whitsunday coast, Mackay, Rockhampton, Gladstone, Bundaberg, and Toowoomba Wellcamp.
Coffs Harbour, Port Macquarie, Tamworth, Newcastle, Albury, Mildura, Avalon, and Melbourne are all out of town.
Regional Development Minister Catherine King said it was Australia’s first major new airline since Tiger Airways started up more than 15 years ago.
This month, the first flights could happen.
When the airline first talked about its plans in late 2021, it hoped to start flying by mid-2022. However, it had to wait for a number of approvals from CASA.
Tim Jordan, the CEO of Bonza, said that he thought tickets would go on sale in a few days and that flights would start before February.
Mr. Jordan said, “I hope we’re talking about days or maybe a week or two, but not more than that.”
“I would hope that by the end of the month, we will be flying to Australia.”
Mr. Jordan said that the airline would keep its goal of being cheap.
We've issued an Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) to new Australian airline Bonza after the carrier submitted final documents and successfully completed proving flights.
Find out more: https://t.co/e8LQE6kspZ
📸: Bonza pic.twitter.com/EWKQGu429V— CASA (@CASABriefing) January 12, 2023
“We think prices should start at about $50 per hour of flight,” he said.
As the airline’s staff and fleet continue to grow, routes will be added slowly.
“It will happen slowly, but as quickly as possible. It will take a few weeks, and most likely a few months.”
Bonza’s first flights, on planes called Bazza, Shazza, and Sheila, will cover 17 routes from its base on the Sunshine Coast, before the company opens a second base in Melbourne.
Only the Fly Bonza app or travel agents will be able to sell tickets for flights.
The airline regulator gives the green light to the purple airline.
Director of aviation safety at CASA Pip Spence said the airline had been through a “rigorous assessment” to make sure it was safe to fly.
“All business owners in Australia have to go through this process, which looks at how the business owner will meet safety standards,” he said.
Since Bonza put in an application last year, the authority said it had been working with the company.
It gave its approval after the airline turned in its final paperwork and finished its test flights to different places.
Minister likes the plan for Bonza
Ms. King called it a “welcome milestone” and said that the routes of the airline were “underserviced.”
She said, “The entry of a new airline will increase competition in the Australian aviation market, giving travellers more options and putting downward pressure on prices.”
“Australia’s airports are some of the safest in the world.
“I want to thank the hardworking people at CASA and Bonza who have worked for many months to get this certification and make sure Bonza meets the high safety standards that all airlines in Australia must meet.”
