Bonza has today launched their inaugural flight between Melbourne (Tullamarine) and Gladstone. The schedule has been optimized with long weekends in mind, and flights will operate twice weekly on Mondays and Thursdays with one-way fares from $89 per person.
On Thursday (May 11, 2023), Bonza celebrated the launch of new service between Melbourne (Tullamarine) and Gladstone, giving Victorians more holiday choices with low-cost fares. The schedule has been optimized with long weekends in mind, with flights operating twice weekly on Thursdays and Mondays with one-way fares from $89 per person. The new service marks the 17th and final destination on Bonza’s initial route map, with one more route (Melbourne-Mackay) to launch on Mar 23rd. Travelers to Gladstone can discover Heron Island, a World Heritage listed Marine National Park, and home to an abundance of manta rays, turtles and coral reef, as well as a relatively undiscovered coastline and quaint beach villages such as Agnes Water and The Town of 1770. Onboard today’s inaugural flight were aviation students from RMIT who were invited as Bonza’s special guests.
In Thursday’s announcement, Bonza’s CEO, Tim Jordan, said,
“Today’s new route is a good example of Bonza’s mission to open up new markets for domestic tourism. The new route also opens up opportunities for locals in and around Gladstone to take a city break in Melbourne. Getting to an iconic Aussie event, like the Melbourne Cup or the Australian Open, just got a whole lot more affordable. We are thrilled to have the industry’s future talent onboard with us today. It’s a small way that we can support the growth of aviation’s talent pool in Australia.
Melbourne Airport’s CEO Lorie Argus added,
“Bonza is making it much easier for Victorians to explore new parts of Australia by opening up previously un-served destinations such as Gladstone, and we expect there’ll be plenty of Melbournians keen to see what the region has to offer. It also gives Gladstone residents direct access to Australia’s capital of food, sport and culture along with our huge calendar of major events, so there’s always a good reason for a long weekend getaway!”
Also commenting on Bonza’s historic inaugural flight, Gladstone’s Mayor, Matt Burnett, said,
“The Gladstone Region has more than 10,000 square kilometres to explore on land alone and coupled with all the breathtaking islands located on the Southern Great Barrier Reef, it’s easy to see why Bonza has chosen Gladstone as one of its regional routes. Two flights a week is a fantastic start and opens the door for more tourists to visit our region, while offering our residents a quick and convenient flight to explore everything Melbourne has to offer.”
Bonza Celebrates the Launch of New Service Between Melbourne and Gladstone - Courtesy Bonza
Bonza is Australia’s new, and only independent low-cost carrier (LCC), enabling Australians to explore more of their own backyard at low prices. The airline currently operates a fleet of five brand new Boeing 737-8 MAX aircraft, which will grow to eight by the end of the first year of operations. Bonza’s initial route map includes 27 routes to 17 destinations. Over 90 percent of Bonza routes are not served by any airline, and 96 percent are not served by a low-cost carrier. The lowest fares are now available for booking on the FlyBonza App.
Source: Bonza