Bonza has launched its first customer flight from Melbourne (Tullamarine) to Gladstone.
Designed with long weekends in mind, the new twice-weekly service will operate on Mondays and Thursdays with fares starting from $89 per person (one way).
“Today’s new route is a good example of Bonza’s mission to open up new markets for domestic tourism,” said Tim Jordan, CEO of Bonza who was at Gladstone to greet the first customers from Melbourne.
From Gladstone, travellers can discover Heron Island, a World Heritage-Listed Marine National Park. The island is home to an abundance of manta rays, turtles and coral reef. From Gladstone, travellers can also access relatively undiscovered coastline and beach villages including Agnes Water and The Town of 1770.
“The new route also opens up opportunities for locals in and around Gladstone to take a city break in Melbourne. Getting to an iconic Aussie event, like the Melbourne Cup or the Australian Open, just got a whole lot more affordable,” said Jordan.
Joining customers onboard today’s historic flight were aviation students from RMIT who were invited as guests of Bonza.
“We are thrilled to have the industry’s future talent onboard with us today. It’s a small way that we can support the growth of aviation’s talent pool in Australia,” added Jordan.
Commenting on the first flight to Gladstone was Mayor Matt Burnett.
“The Gladstone Region has more than 10,000 square kilometres to explore on land alone and coupled with all the breathtaking islands located on the Southern Great Barrier Reef, it’s easy to see why Bonza has chosen Gladstone as one of its regional routes,” said Burnett.
“Two flights a week is a fantastic start and opens the door for more tourists to visit our region, while offering our residents a quick and convenient flight to explore everything Melbourne has to offer.”
With just one more route to launch from Bonza’s Melbourne base, Melbourne Airport CEO Lorie Argus said: “Bonza is making it much easier for Victorians to explore new parts of Australia by opening up previously un-served destinations such as Gladstone, and we expect there’ll be plenty of Melbournians keen to see what the region has to offer.”
“It also gives Gladstone residents direct access to Australia’s capital of food, sport and culture along with our huge calendar of major events, so there’s always a good reason for a long weekend getaway!”
Travellers are encouraged to download the Fly Bonza app which is the only place to book direct.