BONZA AIRLINES: Planes in Poland?

This is an odd one, recorded by Lucas Baird in the AFR. Apparently, two Bonza branded Boeing 737-8 MAXs are in full Bonza purple paint job. Replete with a ‘Here for Allstralia‘ tagline on their sides, flying out of Warsaw’s Chopin Airport. The original report seems to be from Piotr Bożyk on Twitter – below:

Last days #EnterAir has taken delivery of its 2 new #Boeing's #737MAX. The aircrafts was destined for #LOT🇵🇱 & then for #Bonza🇦🇺, which didn't take delivery of these✈️New regs in Enter fleet:
👉SP-EXE – MSN60388/LN7591
👉SP-EXF – MSN61862/LN7737
👉https://t.co/0FI8Era7Mz #AvGeek pic.twitter.com/oIkCyDdpxa

— Piotr Bożyk (@PiotrBozyk) May 22, 2023

So what’s the story

Bonza’s funding backers, 777 Partners, has been handing out planes to whichever of their investment airlines needs them most urgently. Or possibly where they can do their investment the most benefit.

The aircraft are working for Warsaw charter-based airline ‘Enter Air’, flying around Europe to service demand over the European summer.

Bonza’s Chief Commercial Officer, Carly Povey has told the AFR that the charter airline Enter Air has bought the planes from 777 Partners. That’s even though they were licensed to operate in Australia. Its not the first time 777 Partners have done this. They have sold a total of 7 aircraft, originally destined for their other investments. This includes the low-cost Canadian outfit they invested in ‘Flair’. The excuse is that Flair had a fall-off in demand, and Bonza suffered delays getting its Australian licensing in order. Both of these did occur. Bonza was late to license – mainly due to underestimating the process as reported by some commentators. Flair has had a fall off in revenue if the reports that it defaulted on its aircraft lease payments are true.

Bonza’s Future

The claim from the company is that the loss of these aircraft is not impacting the airlines plans. Sounds like a stretch to me. However, given the delayed launch of the airline, could still be perfectly true.

2PAXfly Takeout

The entire airline industry is having difficulties with supply chains that were closed down or made difficult in other ways by the pandemic. Major aircraft manufacturers have warned their customers that fulfilling orders on previously agreed timelines might be a challenge. And that has gotten worse since almost every airline is stretching its maintenance suppliers to get every aircraft it has in storage back in the sky.

Still, a plane is a plane, whatever livery is painted on it. That seems to be Enter Air’s view anyway.

rk”.