Business
30 March, 2024
Bonza times for airport
BONZA and Cairns Airport are celebrating a year since the airline started flying to the Far North.
A Cairns Airport spokeswoman said thousands of local residents had taken advantage of direct flights to Rockhampton and the Sunshine Coast since the services started on March 23, 2023.
“Time flies when you are having fun, and that’s what Bonza have been doing over the last 12 months since they graced our runway with their purple presence,” she said.
“Adding a new destination – Gold Coast in December – the airline operates 12 flights per week from Cairns.”
Bonza says it has saved Aussie travellers over $125 million by delivering upon its mission of making air travel more affordable and accessible to travellers, particularly those in regional Australia, with that figure expected to double in 2024.
The airline has flown more than 750,000 customers to 21 destinations across Australia.
“It really is a Bonzaversary to remember, since our inaugural flight on January 31, 2023, Bonza has expanded to operate 38 routes to 21 destinations from three bases and, of these routes, 84 per cent are unique to Bonza,” said Bonza boss Tim Jordan (above).
“We’ve got big plans for 2024 and the Aussie public will benefit. We’re predicting we’ll save domestic travellers somewhere in the vicinity of an additional $250 million this coming year. Competition in Australian skies is a great thing for Aussie travellers and over 750,000 customers have already experienced the benefits of Bonza.”
In the meantime the airport is gearing up for Singapore Airlines operating their larger A350 aircraft between Cairns and Singapore from Sunday.
“The Singapore Airlines A350 aircraft features 40 business class seats which transform seamlessly into a full-flat bed, so you can catch up on sleep right after the work is done,” said the airport spokeswoman.
“KrisFlyer members can also enjoy unlimited complimentary Wi-Fi on board in all cabins, connecting you to the ground even while you’re 30,000 feet in the air,” she said.
“Singapore Airlines fly four times per week, connecting Cairns to the world with over 110 destinations.”
The spokeswoman said the countdown was also on for the return of Air New Zealand’s direct services between Cairns and Auckland starting April 2, running through until October.
It comes as the latest figures show good growth at the airport in February with international numbers up 73.9 per cent from 28,248 last year to 49,110 in 2024 and domestic travellers increasing 19.2 per cent from 226,305 to 269,746. Overall passenger statistics grew by 25.3 per cent from 262,825 to 329,414 – a rise of 66,589 people. Growth for the rolling 12 months is 13.4 per cent (549,179) to 4.6 million passengers.
