Budget airline Bonza has suspended its services, triggering mass cancellations at airports across the east coast of Australia.
Flights to and from Bonza’s major hubs at Melbourne Airport, Sunshine Coast Airport, and the Gold Coast Airport were cancelled in the early hours of Tuesday morning, plunging passengers’ travel plans into disarray.
In a statement Bonza CEO Tim Jordan confirmed the airline had “temporarily” cancelled services for the day as it enters negotiations over how it can continue to operate in Australia.
“Bonza has temporarily suspended services due to be operated today as discussions are currently underway regarding the ongoing viability of the business,” he said.
“We apologise to our customers who are impacted by this and we’re working as quickly as possible to determine a way forward that ensures there is ongoing competition in the Australian domestic aviation market.”
Services from the Gold Coast to Mackay, Melbourne (Avalon), Launceston, and Prosperine were nixed, as were flights from the Sunshine Coast to Newcastle and Rockhampton.
Flights to Melbourne from Rockhampton and Gladstone were also cut on Tuesday, as was the service back to Rockhampton, and afternoon services to Tamworth and Alice Springs from Melbourne.
Passengers have vented their frustration over the suspension, with a number claiming they had received no information about their disrupted travel plans.
The suspension comes just days after the airline announced it would begin to reduce its number of flights nationally, and as the Australian Financial Review reported some of Bonza’s Boeing 737-MAX-8 fleet had been repossessed.
Amid the chaos, major competitor Virgin Australia announced it would step in to rescue “stranded” customers with Virgin flights.
“We are aware of the temporary suspension of Bonza flights. We will immediately support any passengers stranded mid-journey by offering complimentary seats on Virgin Australia-operated flights to the airport nearest to their final planned Bonza destination,” Virgin Australia posted on X.
Affected customers are advised to speak to a Virgin Australia customer service representative at the airport or call Virgin’s Guest Contact Centre (13 67 89).
Bonza took flight in January 2023 from its hub in the Sunshine Coast, promising to deliver “low-cost” services on “the quietest‚ most comfortable and fuel efficient aircraft in the domestic market”.