With Bonza Airline’s initial rollout accomplished recently, the low-cost carrier is now busy flying all 4 of its Boeing 737 MAX 8s on greater than 25 routes across three Australian cities. But when Bonza has all of its fleet operating so many routes, how did two of its narrowbodies find yourself parked in a completely different country, particularly in Poland?
Here for Allstralia Poland
The 2 Boeing 737 MAXs in query were previously registered as VH-UBI and VH-UJZ, and each were initially imagined to be a part of Polish flag carrier LOT Polish Airlines’ fleet after rolling off Boeing’s production lines. Nevertheless, circumstances modified, and the 2 aircraft were as a result of be with Bonza before the situation modified again.
Fortunately, a brand new home was finally found for these aircraft in Warsaw, with charter carrier Enter Air. And so each narrowbodies were ferried to Poland last week and are currently parked at Warsaw Chopin Airport, with VH-UBI being re-registered to SP-EXE. In contrast, VH-UJZ was re-registered to SP-EXF – all while still sporting Bonza’s purple livery and emphasizing the airline’s logo on its engines.
Albeit Enter Air will operate them as a part of its expansion in response to increasing passenger demands over the summer season, the shortage of time likely signifies that the charter carrier may have to persist with the given aircraft livery – significantly because it was desperate to have the extra capability as soon as possible. With the inclusion of the 2 Bonza-branded Boeing 737 MAXs, Enter Air now houses 29 aircraft in its fleet.
Bonza’s operations remain unaffected
But why didn’t the 2 Boeing narrowbodies turn out to be a part of Bonza’s fleet as initially planned, especially since they already wore the budget carrier’s striking livery? The reply lies in how delayed Bonza’s planned rollout was, with a heavier emphasis on how for much longer than anticipated it took for the airline to acquire its operating license in Australia.
Given the delay and relative uncertainty surrounding Bonza’s official launch, the owner and first aircraft lessor 777 Partners redirected the 2 aircraft alongside five other Boeing narrowbodies originally destined for Bonza to Canadian low-cost carrier Flair Airlines and North American leasing firm BBAM. Because of this, Bonza was only left with the 4 aircraft it currently houses.
Photo: Bonza
But despite the delays and slight operational challenges, the airline is optimistic and determined that its expansion plans can still carry on with out a hitch. Chief Industrial Officer Carly Povey highlighted:
“Buying and selling aircraft is not unusual when it comes to fleet management, and now that we have now our operating license, we still have 4 efficient aircraft in Australia operating our 27 routes. Despite the fact that two of our aircraft were redirected to Europe, our growth plans still remain the identical, and we’re extremely focused on earning the respect of our Aussia travelers.”
Bottom line
Bonza’s Chief Executive Officer Tim Jordan once said the airline would operate as much as eight aircraft throughout the first yr, so there’s still loads of time for those words to ring true. But considering the aircraft delivery delays and provide chain issues, obtaining more aircraft just like the Boeing 737 MAX inside an expected timeline could prove difficult, as other carriers like Virgin Australia have recently experienced.