Bonza to launch 11 new routes with new Gold Coast base

Bonza is to significantly expand its operations by adding a third base in the Gold Coast, which it will use to fly to 11 destinations from November. The surprise announcement will also see the new airline initially ‘wet lease’ two aircraft, meaning another airline will operate the services under the Bonza brand. It comes after the low-cost carrier last month said it would axe five of its 27 routes just months after its launch in a move the business said would reduce cancellations across its network. On Tuesday, Bonza said it would now fly from the Gold Coast to 11 existing destinations: Albury, Bundaberg, Cairns, Gladstone, Mackay, Melbourne Avalon, Melbourne Tullamarine, Mildura, Rockhampton, Townsville and the Whitsunday Coast. The airline’s CEO, Tim Jordan, said the announcement would create more “depth” in the network by connecting existing Bonza destinations to the third base. “New routes from the Gold Coast also mean locals from South Brisbane down to Northern NSW regions, like Ballina and Byron Bay, have the chance to explore their own backyard with low-cost flights to regional locations like Mildura, Bundy and Townsville, to name a few,” he said. “We’ll be adding new destinations to our route map that will fly from the Gold Coast, and we continue to welcome conversations with airports around the country as we fulfil our mission to connect communities.""<br/>