The primary plane for Australia’s new home airline, Bonza, has arrived at its new dwelling on the Sunshine Coast.

The Boeing 737 MAX, designated flight AB001, took off from Boeing’s facility in Seattle on Friday, making stops in Hawaii and Fiji for refuelling earlier than touchdown on the Sunshine Coast.

Bonza is hoping to launch flights from September, pending regulatory approval, and plans to initially fly to 17 locations on 27 routes. Twenty 5 of those routes should not at present serviced by different airways, based on Bonza.

It’s the first new airline to launch in Australia because the now-defunct Tigerair in 2007, which shut down as a result of pandemic.

“That is an thrilling time for Australian aviation and most significantly, the Aussie travelling public who will now take pleasure in extra selection,” mentioned Bonza’s chief govt Tim Jordan.

Jordan has beforehand mentioned that the low-cost provider’s fares can be about half the value of these supplied by full-service airways and much like these of Jetstar.

Together with the Sunshine Coast, anticipated locations embody Albury, Bundaberg, Cairns, Coffs Harbour, Gladstone, Mackay, Mildura, Newcastle, Port Macquarie, Rockhampton, Toowoomba Wellcamp, Townsville and the Whitsunday Coast.

Bonza will fly into Melbourne Airport however to not Sydney, with Jordan citing higher business phrases and touchdown slots on provide at different amenities.

The brand new Bonza airplane’s interiors can be accomplished in Australia. The one-class cabin could have 186 seats with completely different seating choices, based on the airline.

“It appears solely proper that we convey dwelling our first plane to have its last touches placed on by Australians domestically,” Jordan mentioned.

Bonza has already damaged some Australian aviation conventions, even earlier than it launches.

The airline will solely promote fares by way of its personal app – bookings will not be obtainable by way of third-party web sites. It would even have Australia’s first non-gender particular uniform guidelines for its cabin crew, permitting employees to combine and match quite a lot of clothes choices.

Bonza’s airplane is the primary Boeing 737 MAX to be based mostly in Australia and can kind a part of a fleet of latest plane. The airline expects a second MAX plane to reach later this month and one other in September, with a complete of eight to be delivered in its first yr of operation.

The 737 MAX, which first entered service in 2017, was grounded worldwide in March 2019 after a defective flight stabilisation system noticed two of the jets concerned in deadly crashes, killing greater than 300 individuals.

America’s Federal Aviation Administration cleared the airplane to renew service in November 2020 after adjustments had been made.

Virgin Australia additionally has 4 737 MAX planes on order, diminished from an unique order of 23.

The 737 MAX gives a 15 per cent gasoline saving on earlier variations of the 737.

The arrival of the 737 MAX comes someday after Jetstar took supply of its first Airbus A320neo, the arch rival of the MAX, with related measurement, vary and gasoline effectivity.

See additionally: Larger seats, longer vary: Jetstar’s new Airbus touches down

See additionally: Superjumbo comeback: The airways nonetheless flying A380s to Australia