Jetstar has become the first airline to move in on one of Bonza’s former exclusive routes – hours after administrator Hall Chadwick confirmed it would seek to wind the independent carrier up.
Qantas’ low-cost arm has announced a new service from the Sunshine Coast to Cairns, which will operate up to four times per week using A320-200 aircraft starting 3 December. The route is one of 10 that had been operated by Bonza from its former hub until it went into voluntary administration in April.
The announcement could be seen as a vindication of Bonza’s point-to-point route model despite the airline’s demise. According to Jetstar’s executive manager, customer, Jenn Armor, the flights are expected to attract more than 4,000 passengers per month.
“These new flights are expected to be popular with both interstate and overseas tourists wanting to explore more of Queensland and locals taking off on holiday or reconnecting with family and friends,” she said.
“We’re proud to be supporting tourism in both coastal cities and we thank Sunshine Coast airport for their continued support of low fares travel.”
While Jetstar’s media release made no mention of Bonza, Sunshine Coast Airport CEO Chris Mills said reconnecting Cairns and the Sunshine Coast would be “great for locals, and great for tourism”.
“Cairns locals will be able to fly directly to the Sunshine Coast and connect with loved ones, or relax on holiday and experience our incredible beaches, hinterland and one of a kind restaurants and breweries,” he said.
“These flights will also unlock Tropical Far North Queensland, with a short flight giving Coast locals access to the Daintree, Great Barrier Reef, and Asia through Cairns’ international connections.”
Richard Barker, CEO of Cairns Airport, said the route would enable locals and tourists to “experience the best of both destinations with easy non-stop travel and for an affordable price”.
“It’s also ideal that this new service is commencing at the start of the summer school holidays and in the lead up to the festive season, when many people are keen to travel to visit loved ones or take a well-deserved break,” he said.
Bonza was the only airline flying between Cairns and the Sunshine Coast before its collapse, and Jetstar’s announcement comes the day after the grounded carrier’s administrator Hall Chadwick recommended the company be wound up in a creditors report released on Tuesday night.
The airline had launched its direct Sunshine Coast-Cairns flights on 27 March 2023, initially flying five times per week – one more than Jetstar’s new service – and in April 2024, CEO Tim Jordan said it had flown 100,000 passengers to and from Cairns in its first year.
“We’re proud to have stimulated a new market of travellers that without Bonza would have stayed home and that’s a lost tourism opportunity and also a lost opportunity to get out and experience our beautiful backyard,” he said.
BITRE data released this month suggested that Sunshine Coast Airport would suffer a significant hit to passenger numbers in Bonza’s absence.