Bonza awaits take off as regulator considers application

Low-cost airline Bonza’s plans to take to the Australian skies remain uncertain, with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) yet to sign off on the carrier’s operations. Bonza burst into the local aviation scene in October last year, becoming the first airline to launch in Australia in the last 15 years. It’s planning to offer low-cost flights to regional holiday destinations across the east coast, but its fate lies with CASA, and it’s still unclear how much longer Bonza will have to wait for regulatory approval. ASX-listed Regional Express, which already held the coveted Air Operators Certificate for regional flights, waited four months to get the tick from CASA to expand into city services last year. So far, Bonza has waited since April. Bonza recently hired Virgin Australia’s former general manager of operations planning Michael Young to lead its negotiations with the safety authority, following the exit of former chief operations officer and co-founder Peter McNally. The budget airline’s CCO Carly Povey said it hasn’t been deterred by the drawn out regulatory process. “When the regulator is happy, we’re happy. It’s the single most important piece to running an airline,” the former Jetstar executive said, adding her team has been focussing on what they can control including finalising airport partnerships, training and recruitment. Bonza’s first fleet of cabin crew completed training on the Sunshine Coast last week.<br/>