The Sunshine Coast Gets a Taste of Melbourne as Bonza Commences Direct Flights Between the Sunshine Coast and Melbourne (Avalon)

Onboard the Bonza first flight to Melbourne (Avalon) was a myriad of local foodies and businesses from the Sunshine Coast and wider region, keen to showcase their products to the Melbourne market and collaborate with Victoria’s renowned food producers.

Sunshine Coast Airport CEO, Andrew Brodie said the additional 30,000 seats from Melbourne (Avalon) into the region will have a major impact on local business with increased visitors into the Sunshine Coast.

“We know that Victorians love food and fresh produce, our beautiful beaches and breathtaking hinterland and with the start of services from Melbourne (Avalon), more Victorians can discover and explore all our region has to offer.

“The Sunshine Coast is a highly sought after holiday destination for Victorians, and being able to fly directly out of Melbourne (Avalon) into the Sunshine Coast, will make travel so much easier for people who live in Greater Melbourne.

“Similarly, people who have friends or family in Victoria, now have greater options for travel as Bonza will be operating three flights to Melbourne (Avalon) a week.

“This new route is also great news for Sunshine Coast locals who love their sport or who want to spend time enjoying the incredible foodie culture that Melbourne is known for,” Mr Brodie said.

Today’s flight will be the first inaugural flight between the Sunshine Coast and Melbourne (Avalon) and is one of 13 destinations Bonza will service from their home base at Sunshine Coast Airport. It also marks the first Bonza flight into Victoria as they continue to expand their footprint that will see regional Australia connected like never before.

Sunshine Coast to Melbourne (Avalon) is one of the 10 routes that have never been serviced before and will make travel between Greater Melbourne, Geelong and the Bellarine, and the Sunshine Coast more accessible and affordable for regional travellers.

Bonza CEO, Tim Jordan, who was on board today’s flight said, “Today is a significant milestone for SE Queenslanders who can now fly direct to Melbourne (Avalon) from Sunshine Coast Airport.

“Avalon is the perfect gateway to a wide range of holiday experiences including Melbourne city, Geelong and the Great Ocean Road. Likewise, Victorians can now fly direct from Avalon to the Sunshine Coast to visit loved ones or take a well earned break”.

With Bonza anticipated to bring an additional 772,000 seats to the Sunshine Coast and generate an estimated $86million in domestic visitor spend in the first 12 months, bringing the Airport Master Plan 2040 to life is a priority for Mr Brodie.

“We are embarking on a period of significant growth and change which will benefit all of SE Qld and we are only just getting started. The first stage was completed in June 2020 when we opened the new longer and wider runway and over the coming years our domestic terminal will double in size, there will be an expansion of the Aerospace Precinct and our Southern Gateway will start to take shape.

“In fact we will be investing up to $1B in infrastructure which will have a significant impact on the regional economy. We will create jobs, attract investment and support the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games. We are building a legacy for generations to come and the Sunshine Coast Airport will play a pivotal role in firmly putting the Sunshine Coast on the map as a destination for business and pleasure.

“Our partnership with Bonza is an important milestone in our long term plans for Sunshine Coast Airport which will see us welcome greater volumes of travellers, opening up opportunities not previously available.

“We cannot wait to welcome visitors from across Australia traveling on these brand new routes,” Mr Brodie said.