Bonza announced it had been given its Air Operator Certificate from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) on Thursday and has started to finalise preparations to go on sale with its flights out of its home base on the Sunshine Coast.

Twice-weekly flights between Albury and the Sunshine Coast were part of Bonza's plans when it announced its inaugural route map in February, 2022.

"We are thrilled to announce Bonza has been granted its Air Operator Certificate," Bonza chief executive Tim Jordan said.

"We're finalising our preparations to go on sale with flights from our Sunshine Coast base which includes Albury to Sunshine Coast.

"Once those preparations are complete, the community of Albury will be able to book flights to the Sunshine Coast via the Fly Bonza app."

Albury mayor Kylie King was also excited about Bonza's news.

"We're thrilled to hear that Bonza has been given the all clear to fly, adding another exciting destination to the list of direct flights from the Albury Airport including Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Brisbane... and now the Sunshine Coast," she said.

"This new route gives our community the opportunity to visit our friends up on the Sunny Coast in record time, and opens up the Albury-Wodonga and surrounding region to a whole new group of travellers.

"Passenger numbers through the Albury Airport are fast approaching pre-COVID levels, and we believe this great new relationship will give our economy a much-needed boost as we continue to recover from the pandemic."

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Mr Jordan said Bonza had been working collaboratively with the regulator to gradually introduce its initial 17 destinations and 27 routes, the bulk of which are not served by another airline.

"This is a historic moment for Australian aviation as we get ready to launch the first high-capacity airline in more than 15 years, and the country's only independent low-cost carrier," Mr Jordan said.

"The excitement for what we are about to deliver is palpable and the timing couldn't be better.

"Demand for domestic travel is high and Aussies deserve for travel to be a basic right for many, not a luxury for the few. This has never been truer with today's cost of living challenges.

"With the approval from CASA, 2023 is set to be the year of seeing more of your own backyard for less."

The Fly Bonza app will be the only place to book flights, with the exception of registered travel agents.

Mr Jordan said a digital support centre would be established to assist customers with queries about bookings.

"I'd like to thank our team of legends who have worked very hard to achieve today's milestone working alongside CASA who do incredibly important work regulating Australian aviation," he said.

"Now, our focus turns to connecting communities and we hope to see many Aussies onboard soon."

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