Australia's newest airline: Bonza

Bonza Aviation Pty Ltd, trading as Bonza airlines, is an upcoming Australian low-cost airline founded by former Virgin Blue executive Tim Jordan, along with Lydia Valenzuela and Peter McNally. 

The airline is funded and backed by 777 Partners, a private investment firm based in Miami, USA. 

The airline was planning to commence operations in Australia in 2022 and will predominantly serve new domestic and regional routes within Australia, but the airline still doesn't have its operating certificate.
Australia’s Bonza has been making waves this year amid the ongoing deliveries of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft. The low-cost carrier seeks to operate routes that are currently not served or underserved by other airlines. The preliminary route map displays 27 services across 17 destinations. The network primarily involves locations across Australia's East Coast.

Bonza will initiate services with up to five Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft in an all-economy configuration, with deliveries that commenced in the second half of 2022. This will make Bonza the first Australian airline to operate the Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, before Virgin Australia takes delivery of its Boeing 737 MAX 10 in mid 2023.

Bonza's home is based at the Sunshine Coast Airport (formerly known as Maroochydore Airport) (IATA: MCY, ICAO: YBSU) is located at Marcoola on the Sunshine Coast.

As I am holidaying on the sunshine coast with my family, we called into to have a look at this airline for the first time.


Bonza have three aircraft to date.
VH-UJT (MSN 62533) arrived on the 1st of August 2022 and called it 'Shazza' - aircraft first flew 12/09/2019

VH-UIK (MSN 43975) arrived on the 29th of October 2022 and called it 'Bazza' - aircraft first flew 25/04/2019

VH-UJK (MSN 43974) arrived on the 12th of December 2022 and called it 'Sheila' - aircraft first flew 16/05/2019

The aircraft are all leased from Bonza's majority shareholder, 777 Partners, who placed an order for 24 Boeing 737 MAX aircraft in March 2021 – some of these aircraft will be allocated to Canadian-based Flair Airlines, in which 777 Partners holds a stake.