The government has called on both Virgin Australia and Qantas to help out stranded Bonza passengers after the budget airline confirmed it “temporarily suspended” services today.
“Bonza has temporarily suspended services due to be operated today, as discussions are currently underway regarding the ongoing viability of the business,” Bonza CEO Tim Jordan said this morning.
“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.”
“I am aware of reports this morning of Bonza flights being cancelled,” Transport Minister Catherine King said this morning.
“I have spoken to Qantas and Virgin CEOs this morning and both airlines stand ready to assist stranded passengers needing to get home.”
King’s department is also setting up a hotline for passengers, which will be made public as soon as possible.
King said her expectation was that Bonza keep passengers informed of their options and their consumer rights.
Virgin had already reached out to passengers stranded “mid-journey”.
The airline is offering complimentary seats to those passengers to allow them to travel to the airport “nearest to their final planned Bonza destination”.
Any stranded passengers are urged to seek out a Virgin customer service representative at the airport they’re stuck at, or contact 13 67 89.
Bonza’s website also appears to not be accepting bookings, with reports users are unable to select departure or arrival dates through the online booking tool.
Flights cancelled around the country
All flights departing from the Sunshine Coast scheduled to land in Gladstone and Rockhampton this morning have been cancelled, along with some leaving from Melbourne Airport.
It comes just days after the airline announced it would scale back flights nationally.
From next month, the airline announced it would reduce the number of flights from Melbourne to the Gold Coast to one a week, the Australian Financial Review reported.
Flights from the Gold Coast to Launceston have also been reduced, while its Gold Coast to Mount Isa service has been reporterly scrapped.
One customer, Tracy Hilbert, was left stranded at Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne after she was told her flight was cancelled as she waited at the gate.
“I’ve heard that all the planes today have been cancelled,” she said.
Hilbert, who booked her flight to see her family after her father died, said she hadn’t been given any warning.
“It’s just really hard today because I should have been up there now and with my mum, my brother, and my other family,” she told Today.
Debate over future of Aussie travel
Vision from Tullamarine Airport this morning shows a Bonza aircraft that was scheduled to fly to Gladstone in Queensland being towed after it was cancelled.
The Australian Financial Review has reported aircraft, which Bonza operates on a long-term lease, are being seized.
Quentin Long from Australian Traveller told Today Bonza had been a fantastic idea that brought flight service to under-served regions.
“The business model is really innovative, which was, ‘we’re going to connect regional centres to regional centres’,” he said.
“And the problem with that is you needed mass take-up, and there were not that many people in those areas to be able to take it up.
“So it was a really interesting, innovative but challenged business model from the start.”
Flight Centre CEO Graham Turner earlier said his organisation hadn’t been able to contact Bonza for any confirmation about what was happening.
“With all these cancellations, and not just this morning, but, they have been happening for the last few weeks, the news doesn’t look that good,” he told Today.
“But we haven’t heard anything official yet.
“It is one of the problems with the domestic aviation industry in Australia, where generally it’s been thought two main domestic carriers is all that the market can stand.
“But hopefully that’s not true.”
NBN News understands that Shadow Minister for Transport Bridget McKenzie has called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to save the budget airline.
Bonza pitched itself as a “low-cost, ultra-Aussie airline” when it launched into the Australian market on January 31, 2023.
