April 30th 2024.
The government has reached out to Virgin Australia and Qantas for assistance in helping stranded Bonza passengers. This comes after the budget airline announced the temporary suspension of its services today. The CEO of Bonza, Tim Jordan, stated this morning that discussions are currently taking place regarding the business's ongoing viability. He also apologized to customers who were affected by this situation and assured them that they are working quickly to find a solution that will maintain competition in the Australian domestic aviation market.
Transport Minister Catherine King also addressed the issue, stating that she is aware of reports of cancelled Bonza flights. She has already spoken to the CEOs of Qantas and Virgin, who have both expressed their readiness to assist stranded passengers in getting home. King's department is also setting up a hotline for passengers, which will be made public as soon as possible. She emphasized the importance of Bonza keeping passengers informed of their options and consumer rights.
Virgin has already taken action to help passengers who were stranded mid-journey. The airline is offering complimentary seats to these passengers to allow them to travel to the nearest airport to their final planned destination with Bonza. Stranded passengers are advised to seek out a Virgin customer service representative or contact 13 67 89 for assistance.
Unfortunately, Melbourne Airport has confirmed that all Bonza services out of Tullamarine have been suspended today. They are urging passengers to find alternate travel options. On top of that, Bonza's website seems to be experiencing technical difficulties, with users reporting that they are unable to book flights through the online tool.
Flights have been cancelled across the country, including those departing from the Sunshine Coast, scheduled to land in Gladstone and Rockhampton, and some leaving from Melbourne Airport. This comes just days after Bonza announced that they would be scaling back flights nationally. Starting next month, they will reduce the number of flights from Melbourne to the Gold Coast to only one per week, as reported by the Australian Financial Review.
One customer, Tracy Hilbert, shared her experience of being stranded at Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne. She was informed that her flight was cancelled while waiting at the gate, without any prior warning. Hilbert was devastated as she had booked her flight to see her family after her father's passing. She expressed her disappointment and frustration, stating that she should have been with her family by now.
The situation with Bonza has sparked a debate about the future of travel in Australia. This morning, a video from Tullamarine Airport showed a Bonza aircraft being towed after its flight to Gladstone, Queensland, was cancelled. According to reports, the aircraft, which Bonza leases long-term, are being seized. Quentin Long from Australian Traveller shared his insights, stating that Bonza had a great concept of connecting under-served regions, but the business model was challenging due to low demand.
Graham Turner, the CEO of Flight Centre, also expressed their organization's concern as they have not been able to get any confirmation from Bonza about the situation. He stated that the news does not look promising, given the recent cancellations, but they have not received any official statement yet. Turner also mentioned the challenges of the domestic aviation industry in Australia, where it has been believed that the market can only support two major carriers. However, he remains hopeful that this is not the case.
According to sources, Shadow Minister for Transport Bridget McKenzie has called on Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to intervene and save the budget airline. Bonza made a buzz in the Australian market when it launched as a low-cost, ultra-Aussie airline on January 31, 2023.
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