Another one bites the dust: Bonza enters voluntary administration
Low-cost Australian airline Bonza has entered voluntary administration after just over 12 months in the air.
On Tuesday morning, Bonza abruptly temporarily suspended all its services as “discussions are currently underway regarding the ongoing viability of the business”.
The airline, which commenced official operations on January 31, 2023, describes itself as “Australia’s new and only independent, low-cost airline…opening up new routes across Australia connecting customers and delivering simple and great value domestic travel”.
IMA Home, an agency that was formed from the merger of UK-based IMA and UK-based Home, as well as Australian-based Fusion Learning, held Bonza’s creative account.
The website said: “We apologise to our customers who are impacted by this and we’re working as quickly as possible to determine a way forward that ensures there is ongoing competition in the Australian domestic aviation market.”
The airline has appointed Hall Chadwick for the administration process, while AIP Capital/777 Partners have repossessed the planes.
At last year’s Mumbrella Travel Marketing Summit, Bonza’s former chief commercial officer, Carly Povey, took the stage to talk through the brand’s unique tone of voice and built a groundswell of local support.
The session delved into Bonza’s partnerships with airports and tourism bodies to drive measurable outcomes when it launched.
Bonza is the latest Australian brand to enter administration, with vacuum and cleaning brand Godfreys and dessert brand Sara Lee doing the same earlier this year.
Sara Lee was saved by a private company owned by partners Klark and Brooke Quinn, while the search for a new Godfreys owner was called off in March.
Mumbrella has contacted Bonza, Hall Chadwick and AIP Capital/777 Partners for comment.
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Lauren McNamara is a journalist at Mumbrella, covering the creative and PR beat. She joined in November 2022 as editorial assistant, after completing a Bachelor of Communications (Journalism) at UTS.
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