Pictured: Carly Povey‚ Chief Commercial Officer at Bonza

Australia’s newest independent airline Bonza joined a keynote panel today at esteemed aviation conference Aviation Festival Asia. Bonza’s Chief Commercial Officer Carly Povey brought an Australian perspective to the discussion around how the low cost landscape is evolving.

Speaking alongside the CEOs of HK Express‚ Northern Pacific Airways and flyadeal‚ Povey shared some learnings from Bonza’s recent launch including Bonza’s app-first approach and focus on technology to drive efficiencies and sustainability.

“The opportunity for Bonza in Australia is to make air travel affordable for the many and not the few. We have seen flight prices become out of reach for many Aussies‚ in particular those who live in regional areas‚ which have seen a huge spike in population growth over recent years. Until now‚ the alternative to get from A to B has been travelling via a major metro airport or impossibly long road trips given the depth and breadth of the country‚” said Povey.

To date‚ Bonza has sold tens of thousands of seats since it went on sale on 27 January with flights snapped up for as low as AUD$49 per person one way. Thousands of Aussie travellers have already painted the skies purple with Bonza since the low-cost carrier made its inaugural flight on 31 January.

“At the centre of our strategy is technology and more specifically‚ our app-first approach. The Fly Bonza app is in response to changed consumer behaviours largely fuelled by the pandemic‚ which fast tracked mobile phone and app usage and created a felt need to enhance the ability to communicate with customers in a timely and meaningful way” she said.

The only place to book Bonza flights directly is via the Fly Bonza allowing Bonza to own a direct relationship with its customers‚ which will‚ in turn‚ help the low cost carrier to communicate quickly in a time of disruption. The airline has created a travel agent portal where over a thousand local travel agents have signed up to sell Bonza flights whilst also sharing the travellers details in order for fast communication during a disruption.

In addition to booking on the app‚ Bonza customers check-in‚ get their boarding passes and once onboard‚ order from the all Aussie menu to have their items delivered directly to their seats. In future‚ the app will open up additional e-commerce opportunities for Australian businesses including tourism operators‚ accommodation providers‚ food and drink producers.

“Technology is also a cornerstone of Bonza’s sustainability positioning. Beyond our paperless pledge fuelled by the app‚ our high tech and fuel efficient fleet of brand new Boeing 737-MAX allow us to pass on low-cost fares to Aussie travellers‚” said Povey.

Povey also revealed Bonza is finalising their broader sustainability strategy‚ which will include a commitment to sustainable aviation fuel and responsible travel as the airline works towards developing holiday packages in the near future.