New low-cost airline Bonza has begun operations, beginning with a flight from its home base on the Sunshine Coast this morning.
Flight AB777 on Boeing 737 MAX (affectionately known as ‘Bazza’) departed the Sunshine Coast at 8am heading for Whitsunday Coast.
Onboard the maiden flight were some very lucky customers alongside invited community members and media representatives.
Sunshine Coast News’ Shirley Sinclair was among those invited onboard. She has been keeping readers informed with photos and updates throughout the morning. See below for a selection of photos from Shirley and other guests.
Shirley writes: “The guests are now at Whitsunday Airport after pilot Scott Haywood got us there smoothly. It’s not often the whole plane claps after landing and takeoff.
“I’ve never seen so much purple in one place in my life.
“Big pluses: happy staff, no trolleys on board, still the new smell.”
Chief commercial officer Carly Povey said the reason the Whitsunday Coast was chosen for the inaugural flight came down to community support. A total of 200 people came along to the first meeting to thank Bonza for opening up the regional areas, and they chanted “Bonza” for five minutes.
Ms Povey reiterated that the current prices were not sale prices and were here to stay.
“The more people we have travelling, the better that cost structure becomes,” she said.
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