Budget airline Bonza’s first Boeing 737 Max plane has been given a very Australian name.
Aussies were asked to name the new plane on Facebook and Shazza was thrown in the mix. Other potential names included “Sunny”, short for Sunshine Coast, “Purple Rippa”, “Sunny Boy” and Digger. Shazza received the most likes, and the airline officially renamed its plane.
“Aussies sure love a nickname and you gave us loads of suggestions when we asked for your help to name the plane,” read a Facebook post for Bonza.
“So today, we’re excited to announce our brand new purple beauty’s name is … Shazza!
“It doesn’t get anymore Aussie than that.”
Social media users flocked to the comments section to show their support for the name Shazza .“Love it! Can’t wait to fly on Shazza! Yes let’s get Magda Szubanski at the launch!!!” one person wrote. “Do we all get a free flight, as naming rights?” Asked a person called Sharon.
Last October, the ultra-low-cost domestic airline announced its intention to enter the Aussie market in early 2022, however, early 2022 came and went and Bonza hadn’t launched its flights. Now, the airline has announced that they expect to begin their commercial flights as soon as late September.
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“We are now one important step closer to connecting more Australians with convenient low-cost travel options to more destinations for holidays and to visit loved ones,” Bonza Chief Executive Tim Jordan said in a statement.
Bonza described itself as an airline that offers low-cost fares in cities and regional centres across Australia that have been starved of regular, large-scale flights. The fact that Sydney isn’t on the launch list of destinations shows that Bonza is intent on creating routes to lesser-visited spots. It’s hoped that Sydney will soon become a partner with the airline but the airport hasn’t yet offered access to landing spots.
Sunshine Coast and Melbourne did make it on the launch list – the airline will base its main fleet of Boeing 737 Max’s at Sunshine Coast Airport, with Melbourne acting as a secondary hub for Queensland, NSW, and Victoria. Sunshine Coast will have 12 of the first 25 routes, while Melbourne Airport will handle the other eight.
Bonza flights will be cheap, with one-hour flights costing around $50 while longer flights would cost between $75 and $100.
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