It's been one year since low-cost airline Bonza took flight from Newcastle Airport, and in that time it's carried more than 65,000 passengers to and from the city.
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Bonza chief executive Tim Jordan said the airline was "humbled by the support Newcastle locals have shown us".
"Newcastle is the gateway to the Hunter Valley wine region so today we're raising a glass and saying 'cheers' to the incredible partnership between Bonza and Newcastle Airport," Mr Jordan said.
The "Bonza effect" was also drawing passengers from Central Coast, Canberra, Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour to Newcastle Airport.
"This demonstrates Bonza's growing reach as we aim to connect more Aussies to their backyard, particularly regional Australia, than ever before.
The low-cost airline operates three flights per week between the Sunshine Coast and Newcastle and a twice-weekly service to the Whitsundays with one-way fares starting from $69 and $79 respectively.
The airline has been described as a "market disrupter" due to its fare structure, which the company says is loosely based on $50 for every hour in the air.
Newcastle Airport chief executive Peter Cock said Bonza had been an amazing addition to the region's route network and hoped the airline would consider additional destinations.
"We know our region loves to travel and the response from our community has been overwhelmingly positive over the past year," Dr Cock said.
"We look forward to welcoming more Bonza routes to the Hunter region in the future as we grow the airport the region deserves.
"We're also very proud of what our region has to offer, so the introduction of flights from the Sunshine Coast and the Whitsundays, allows visitors to explore our region, including our world-class vineyards."
Bonza was a key contributor to Newcastle Airport reaching record passenger numbers in February this year, the airport's highest February intake ever.
It wasn't all smooth flying out of Newcastle over the 12 months, with Bonza forced to cut flights to the Sunshine Coast from four to three in August, about four months after launching the route.
At the time, the airline said it reduced the number of flights in an effort to increase reliability.
Jamieson Murphy
Newcastle Herald news director and business reporter. Interested in any and all yarns. Whisper g'day mate to me at jamieson.murphy@austcommunitymedia.com.au
Newcastle Herald news director and business reporter. Interested in any and all yarns. Whisper g'day mate to me at jamieson.murphy@austcommunitymedia.com.au
