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Jetstar could take on a second former Bonza route, with reports suggesting talks are underway between the low-cost carrier and a major regional airport.
The airline is believed to be negotiating with Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport to launch a new route to Melbourne, which was reportedly one of Bonza’s more successful services before its collapse earlier this year.
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As reported in local Toowoomba newspaper The Chronicle, Peter Homan, chief executive of Queensland Country Tourism (QCT), broke the news at a brand relaunch event on Tuesday.
“We think there’s some really good opportunities – Jetstar into Melbourne is one, but Sydney’s a really good inbound market for us,” Homan said.
“That’s an opportunity coming up with, Jetstar into Melbourne, so we’re really excited about that. Those negotiations are going on with them at the moment, so we’re excited if that can be pulled off.”
Bonza had three routes from Toowoomba Wellcamp at launch, serving Melbourne (Tullamarine), Townsville and the Whitsunday Coast, though the Whitsunday route was later axed in August 2023 due to low demand.
According to The Chronicle, QantasLink recently “quietly dropped” its Wednesday Sydney–Toowoomba service, now serving the regional city only four times per week using its Dash-8 Q400 fleet.
Aside from QantasLink, Rex is the only other airline servicing Toowoomba Wellcamp since the demise of Bonza, meaning no jets currently fly into the airport.
“We’re disappointed that they’ve lost that flight and we’re also disappointed about Bonza not operating out of Wellcamp anymore, [but] we think Wellcamp is a strategically great asset for us,” Homan said.
The reports come just over a month before Jetstar is set to begin flights on its new service between Cairns and the Sunshine Coast – the first ex-Bonza route slated to be filled by a Jetstar service – which will operate up to four times per week using A320-200 aircraft starting 3 December.
The announcement in June could be seen as a vindication of Bonza’s point-to-point route model despite the airline’s demise. According to Jetstar’s executive manager, customer, Jenn Armor, the Cairns flights are expected to attract more than 4,000 passengers per month.
“These new flights are expected to be popular with both interstate and overseas tourists wanting to explore more of Queensland and locals taking off on holiday or reconnecting with family and friends,” Armor said in June.
“We’re proud to be supporting tourism in both coastal cities and we thank Sunshine Coast airport for their continued support of low fares travel.”
Jetstar and Toowoomba Wellcamp Airport have declined to comment.
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says:Air North serviced Wellcamp for some years, with E 170 aircraft, their flight originated in Darwin, landing at Townsville, Wellcamp with final destination at Melbourne.
The Townsville to Wellcamp leg of this flight was a welcome change for me personally, avoiding a long road trip to Toowoomba.
Perhaps a possible new route for another airline.