National

Bonza passengers flock to hotline as airline teeters

By AAP Newswire

May 2, 2024

A Bonza plane (file image) — Bonza planes remain grounded as administrators for the airline hold talks with stakeholders. -AAP Image

Almost 2600 Bonza passengers left stranded after the budget airline suddenly grounded flights have reached out for help.

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Passengers were left scrambling with little notice as Bonza cancelled flights on Tuesday morning and fell into voluntary administration.

Its fleet will stay grounded until at least Friday as administrators hold talks with stakeholders, however it's unclear what will happen to the planes after that.

The government's hotline received almost 1500 calls on Tuesday and that increased to almost 2600 by Thursday morning.

Federal Transport Minister Catherine King said people continued to reach out for help.

Qantas, Virgin and Jetstar offered free flights for stranded passengers where available, however AAP spoke to multiple customers who spent hundreds of dollars to secure flights home.

The Transport Workers Union says it's in talks about the future of 150 Bonza staff with other players in the industry.

The Sunshine Coast-based company was unveiled in October 2021 and its first flight took off in January 2023.

It originally flew 27 routes to 17 destinations but started cutting services during its first six months.

Bonza has flown to a host of regional destinations including Albury, Mildura, Mount Isa, Tamworth and Port Macquarie.