1 May, 2024

Skroo says Rex will need deep pockets to fill lost Bonza slots

Is this the of end budget carrier Bonza?

“Unfortunately, I think it is yes,” Flight Centre MD Graham ‘Skroo’ Turner told Travel Weekly, “Which is a pity.

“Particularly for the regional towns that they service and of course competition in the airline industry in Australia,” he said.

“We really only have the two carriers, you know Qantas and Jetstar group and Virgin and I think it’s a pity we can’t seem to get a third airline really firing.”

Can Rex save the day?

The obvious saviour for regional Australian travellers is Rex, which currently flies to 56 Australian destinations and has bases in Adelaide, Albury, Brisbane, Cairns, Dubbo, Melbourne, Orange, Perth, Sydney, Townsville and Wagga Wagga.

“There is a few issues with it but I think Rex really has an opportunity but it’s whether they have deep enough pockets to really make it work,” Skroo said.

“There’s also the problem with airport. Slots, particularly in Sydney in the mornings. It’s quite restrictive which is a problem for domestic players.

“It’s vital you have those morning slots in a place like Sydney of course.

“I think Rex would need fairly deep pockets and they do need access to more slots, there’s no doubt about that.”

Asked if slots for routes between Sydney and Melbourne could have saved Bonza, Skroo said it may have helped them “a bit”.

“They made the choice of being a regional carrier with large aircraft (737 Max-8s), comparatively, whereas Rex has gone the other way and is using its regional base to expand into the main centres of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.

A spokesperson at Rex told Travel Weekly the carrier only had crossover with two of Bonza’s itineraries, though it’s too early to comment on possible expansion opportunities as internal discussions take place.

Bonza’s future on knife edge – Travel Weekly

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Bonza flight centre Graham 'Skroo' Turner graham turner rex