Bonza from Australia on T-shirts, but no news about the first flight

• Boeing

  Promotion code:

  B.A

  Date of establishment:

  1916-07-15

  General Director:

  Dave Calhoun

  Headquarters location:

  Chicago, USA

  Main product lines:

  Boeing 737, Boeing 747, Boeing 757, Boeing 767, Boeing 777, Boeing 787

  Business Type:

  Airman

For now, the Australians are looking forward to the new member Bonza to shake up the domestic market, the airline found a way to bring its brand to it. Rather than on a billboard or on a bus, Bonza announced a sponsorship deal with Australian football (soccer) team Melbourne Victory.

The sponsorship deal is worth up to A$8 million ($5.22 million) and will initially run for four seasons. The Bonza name and logo will be emblazoned on the front of Melbourne Victory’s game shirts, or jerseys as they are known here. As a further sign of the airline’s commitment to both Melbourne Victory and the Australian operation, owner Bonza 777 Partners will receive a minority stake in the club. Melbourne Victory are a hugely popular team in the Australian Football League (ASL) and are broadcast on national television, so Bonza’s profile will get a real boost in the summer season.

When will Bonza start flying?

Raising Bonza’s profile will no doubt attract questions about when the airline begins its flights. This year since we first heard about Bonza, and while no firm launch has been announced, it was initially predicted to happen around the middle of this year. In May it was pushed back to around September when the excitement was building The first Boeing 737 MAX 8 Bonza arrived in Julyand the second was to follow.

Simple Flying reached out to Bonza today for the latest information on a possible launch date, and the airline’s chief commercial officer, Carly Povey, told us:

“We fully respect the regulatory process and continue to work with CASA [Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority] on it. They do an incredibly important job of regulating aviation in Australia and we respect the process we work with them. It is inappropriate for us to comment on when this process will be completed. We will continue to update Australian travelers as always as soon as we have further news on all things Bonza.”

The process Povey talks about is securing the most important thing Certificate of operator (AOC). The first 737 MAX 8 with registration VH-UJT was built in 2019 and was originally intended for a career with LOT Polish Airlines, which was unable to accept the aircraft. The second 737 MAX 8VH-UIK, was also intended LOT Polish Airlines but is now slowly finding its way to Australia and into the arms of Bonza. On September 29, the aircraft moved from Seattle Boeing Field (BFI) for a one-hour flight to Canada’s Calgary International Airport, an airport served by another 777 operator, Partners. Flair Airlines.

The third MAX 8 in motion

In accordance with Flightradar24.com, the third Bonza 737 is registered VH-UJK and is now at Seattle Boeing Field (BFI). On Tuesday, he flew out of the shelter from Victorville Logistics Airport (VCV) in Southern California, headed for BFI, but had a short diversion to Everett Paine Field (PAE) before continuing. The fledgling airline therefore has one aircraft on Australia’s Sunshine Coast, one in Calgary and a third in Seattle as it negotiates the AOC process with CASA.

Emirates is probably the king of airline sponsorships in football, mainly due to its association with Manchester City of the UK. However, 777 Partners, through its 777 Football group, is building its own football empire, which includes Genoa CFC (Italy), Vasco da Gama (Brazil), Standard de Liege (Belgium) and Red Star FC in France. He also owns a significant minority stake in Spanish FC Sevilla and now has a stake in Melbourne Victory.

The shirt will receive plenty of TV and media exposure, but will Bonza be able to find his niche in Australia’s crowded market? What do you think?