Low-cost airline Bonza has welcomed its first official flight to the Sunshine Coast from Melbourne, with arriving passengers from Victoria being treated to a taste of the Coast’s foodie delights.
Today’s flight also marked the launch of the airline’s Melbourne (Tullamarine) base, and comes just days after it reached 100,000 bookings through its app and made its first flight to Cairns.
On arrival, invited guests and community members onboard the flight were treated to a celebration of the Sunshine Coast’s premier culinary festival The Curated Plate, which will feature many of the region’s top food producers and chefs when it kicks off in late July.
Sunshine Coast Airport CEO Andrew Brodie said the new route would provide travellers with greater options to experience the Sunshine Coast and Melbourne respectively.
“There is an affinity for the Sunshine Coast region that exists with Melburnians and that extends beyond our amazing beaches, weather and lifestyle,” he said. “Visitors want to taste and enjoy our local foods and are willing to immerse themselves in the experience.
“The Curated Plate will welcome people here in late July for 10 days of truly remarkable foodie experiences and this new route from Melbourne, that Bonza have commenced as of today, will provide alternative options for travellers.
“Just as Melburnians love visiting us, people from the Sunshine Coast relish the opportunity to get away to Melbourne to enjoy the wide array of experiences and cultural offerings available there.
“This route is an important economic enabler for our region and will see an increase in passenger numbers arriving into the Sunshine Coast with more than 75,000 seats available between the two destinations.”
Bonza CEO Tim Jordan, who was on board today’s flight, said Tullamarine would be the base for two aircraft from its fleet of new Boeing 737-MAX, which are affectionately named Shazza, Bazza, Sheila and Malc.
“Our team of legends have been working hard to set up and launch our second base at Melbourne Tullamarine,” he said.
“The Victorian capital is our second home and based here are a number of cabin crew, pilots and first officers who get to come home after a day travelling to regional destinations on our route map.”
With Melbourne poised to overtake Sydney to become the largest city in Australia, and regional populations booming, Mr Jordan said there had never been a better time for Bonza to enter the market.
“Demand is high for Aussies to travel domestically and as the cooler months are upon us, Melbournites can now take a low-cost flight to many Queensland destinations,” he said.
Travellers are encouraged to download the Fly Bonza app, which is the only place to book direct.
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