Bonza Airline Discussion

[Saab34]

Either
A) VA
B) fuel supplier cut them off
C) all aircraft repossessed

Either way is over

 

[33kft]

If it is VA, the 300,000 cheap seats sale they had over the last few days was in particularly poor taste.

 

[henrus]

A) VA

Curious what would make you say this?

 

[TedE]

Stuck in ROK. Fortunately got on QF flight home via BNE. Get to tick off Dash 8 and A220 from my bingo card.

 

[33kft]

This is doing the rounds, cannot vouch for authenticity

 

[Mwenenzi]

9news 7:43am Apr 30, 2024
Multiple flights operated by Bonza cancelled across major airports

Multiple flights operated by budget airline Bonza leaving from major airports across the country have been cancelled.
All flights departing from the Sunshine Coast scheduled to land in Gladstone and Rockhampton this morning have been cancelled, along with some leaving from Melbourne Airport.
It comes just days after the airline announced it would scale back flights nationally.
<snip>

AFR Bonza flights cancelled as aircraft repossessed

Discount airline Bonza’s local domestic flights are cancelled, and its planes are said to have been repossessed.

Most of Bonza’s flights were flagged by airports as cancelled on Tuesday morning, and one aviation source said the airline’s fleet of Boeing 737-MAX 8 planes had been repossessed by creditors. Bonza was contacted for comment.

The planes were initially bought by Miami-based private equity company 777 Partners, the US parent of Bonza, during COVID-19 and designated to the leisure carrier on long-term leases. But earlier this month, 777 Partners’ creditors created a new vehicle to take control of 30 Max-8 aircraft linked to 777 Partners.

The airline strenuously denied reports that first appeared in The Australian Financial Review that KordaMentha had been appointed to run the ruler over Bonza’s finances. A spokeswoman told the Financial Review at the time that 777 Partners would continue to bankroll the airline despite the change of ownership for its fleet.

Bonza is the brainchild of chief executive Tim Jordan and was designed to take leisure travellers to destinations not served by the major airlines. It flies to unconventional places such as Rockhampton, Mildura and Port Macquarie.

(behind a pay wall?)

Who is surprised?
Last day of the month would be part of this

 

[jb747]

Presumably before you can repossess something, you’d have to be in the situation of not being paid for the lease. And presumably for quite some time.

 

[Harrison_133]

Looks like this mornings flying is all cancelled

All of today's MEL and OOL flying is now cancelled too. Presumably that means the MCY flying will be too, although the various airport websites haven't updated yet.

 

[Saab34]

When Flair had aircraft repossessed due to being 6 months behind and default notices threats, they also said the same ‘surprised’ and took the lessor to court.

How can they push the sympathy card if they are months behind? The bank would take my house also.

It’s finished as such. A large chunk of AIP aircraft are leased to Flair, so they can’t ‘borrow’ of them as such.

 

[jb747]

If it is VA, the 300,000 cheap seats sale they had over the last few days was in particularly poor taste.

Doesn’t this amount to trading whilst insolvent?

 

[BAM1748]

QF have a Bonza passenger help team standing by......

 

[Harrison_133]

From the ABC:

Bonza CEO Tim Jordan released a statement just after 8am saying all services would be "temporarily suspended".

He said discussions were being had about the ongoing viability of the business.

Mr Jordan apologised to customers, saying Bonza was trying to find a way to keep flying.

Also from that article:

A Sunshine Coast man, whose wife works for the airline, told the ABC about 20 cabin crew were called into a meeting early this morning.

"She went to work this morning, as per usual, they just went in — there were two crews there — they were just basically told that Bonza has finished," he said.

"They've been told that they're not flying until further notice.

Source: Bonza flights cancelled across the country as budget airline considers financial viability

 

[Saab34]

He is trying to spin it on the lessors?

Entering Voluntary Admin because they took our jets. Not our fault! Hmmmm

 

[Chicken]

AFR Bonza flights cancelled as aircraft repossessed

(behind a pay wall?)

Bonza flights cancelled as aircraft repossessed - AFR

 

[Saab34]

Virgin offering free seats. Top job!

 

[aus_flyer]

Virgin offering free seats. Top job!

Where's this from?

 

[chrispy3276]

It's just been announced that Bonza has suspended all services for today (April 30) "as discussions are currently underway regarding the ongoing viability of the business".

Expect lots of news on this one today...

Edit to include initial news story: Bonza 'finished' say staff as airline cancels flights across the country

 

[N860CR]

QF have a Bonza passenger help team standing by......

Hopefully they’ll learn from the experience and be able to convert them into a “QF help team” once this issue has passed.

 

[Harrison_133]

Where's this from?

Facebook

 

[SeaWolf]

That's a very generous offer from Virgin.
Might help reduce the stress of the situation for stranded passengers. It's got to be especially difficult because most travel insurance these days excludes insolvency of a provider.