The first Bonza plane has landed at Port Macquarie Airport.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
or signup to continue reading
Named Malc, the Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft touched down just after 4pm on Tuesday, March 21 for training purposes.
Port Macquarie Airport operations coordinator Doug Page said having the plane land with just the crew onboard allowed for staff at the airport to get familiar with the aircraft.
"We have Fire and Rescue here too as well as ground staff going through training," he said.
The first commercial Bonza flight from Port Macquarie to the Sunshine Coast is scheduled for takeoff on April 12.
Bonza CEO Tim Jordan said the training that took place on Tuesday afternoon is essential to making sure everything runs smoothly.
"It lets the pilots come in and out of Port Macquarie from a flight operations perspective, but it's also training for the ground handling team to see the aircraft and to familiarise themselves with opening the doors and the holds of the aircraft," he said.
Bonza will join QantasLink, Rex and Eastern Air Services operating out of Port Macquarie Airport.
The flights to and from the Sunshine Coast will start at $49 each way.
The airline will also offer a twice-weekly service to Melbourne beginning on May 4, with prices starting from $69 one way.
"At Bonza, we are about the many and not the few and want to give everyone the opportunity to fly and travel," Mr Jordan said.
"Port Macquarie and the Mid North Coast will experience a significant increase in visitation from Melbourne and the Sunshine Coast because people will be able to easily access the region."
The aircraft has 180 seats and is powered by twin jets.
"It's considerably larger than existing aircraft that come in and out of Port Macquarie Airport," Mr Jordan said.
"Having an aircraft of this size allows us to drive down the cost of flying so more people can afford to fly."
Tickets for Bonza's services from Port Macquarie Airport have already gone on sale through the Bonza app.
"Since the tickets went on sale about three weeks ago, we have seen fantastic demand for the Port Macquarie services," Mr Jordan said.
"That's very encouraging for us."
