Bonza launches first flight from Gold Coast to Albury

There was a festive mood at the usually quiet airport as passengers were welcomed by Albury mayor Kylie King just before 1pm.

Border region plane spotter Lyle Taylor - who was the first to alight from the Boeing 737 Max-8 - said he was proud to be "part of aviation history".

"I'm just happy to have a great day's flight, always a good experience," Mr Taylor said. "I was on the first flight from the Sunshine Coast in April and now this.

"In two weeks I'll be on board the first Bonza flight from the Gold Coast to Mount Isa.

"I took a picture of a Bonza plane landing for a competition and won - the prize is that Mount Isa ticket so I'm pretty happy about that."

The new Albury-Gold Coast route will operate three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday with fares starting from $79 per person one way.

Bonza chief executive Tim Jordan, who was onboard Bazza as it flew into Albury, said he was confident the flight path will be as successful as the Albury-Sunshine Coast route.

"Bringing people in is great for the Albury-Wodonga economy, but the new route also opens up opportunities for locals here to take a city break in Goldie," Mr Jordan said.

"Getting to Surfers or any of Goldie's theme parks, just got a whole lot easier and more affordable."

Albury Council owns and operates Albury airport with Cr King welcoming the launch of the new route.

"We're excited to celebrate the touchdown of Bonza's first Gold Coast to Albury flight, after the success of the Sunshine Coast route," Cr King said.

"The new route is a win for local businesses as it will open our region up to a whole new group of travellers, as well as giving our community the opportunity to make the trip to the Gold Coast in record time.

"If you're looking to escape the cold during the winter months, we now have another great sunny destination to add to our travel wish list.

"And now even more Queenslanders looking for a winter holiday destination can make the trip down to the Albury-Wodonga region ... being able to make the quick hop over to our nearby ski resorts and wine regions."

Queensland Airports Limited chief executive Amelia Evans said the Albury connection would add 1100 seats to Gold Coast airport's network each week.

"This is a route that's not currently serviced by any other airline so its commencement will make it a lot easier for those living in regional NSW and on the border of Victoria, to connect with the Gold Coast and vice versa," Ms Evans said.

To read more stories, download The Border Mail news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: