The future of embattled budget airline Bonza is back in the spotlight after services were slashed across the network, leaving passengers fearing they wouldn’t make it home.
At least nine flights in and out of Queensland’s busy tourism airports at the Gold and Sunshine Coasts were nixed on Tuesday following similar cancellations on Monday.
Flights either to or from Avalon, Launceston, Proserpine, Newcastle, and Rockhampton were impacted, with about nine flights listed as going ahead throughout the day.
Customers took to Facebook group “Scum of the Air” to vent frustration at the cuts this week, with some people forced to rebook flights with another airline.
“Just cancelled from Gold Coast to Launceston. We were at the gate. No alternative. Just bugger off. Had to spend $526 on Virgin to get home,” one person said.
Other customers called for refunds to be made available rather than credit given to impacted travellers, while another simply added: “Bonza. Dead to us.”
The flight chaos comes after a turbulent few months for the infant airline that launched in January 2023 on niche tourist routes.
Since then, Bonza has faced criticism over its now-improved reliability, repeated route cancellations, and the stalling of sister carrier Flair.
A Flair plane sat idle on the Gold Coast airport tarmac for weeks while Bonza awaited approval from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.
Speaking on reduced routes to and from Launceston, Tasmania, Bonza told Tasmania Pulse it was responding to “market demands”.
Bonza has been contacted for comment.