The future of Bonza is in doubt and thousands of travellers are potentially stranded as the embattled airline cancelled flights across the country on Tuesday.

Early flights in and out of the budget airline’s base on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast were cancelled, along with routes from Melbourne to Rockhampton, Gladstone and Tamworth. 

Bonza CEO Tim Jordan confirmed all services were “temporarily suspended” in a statement released about 8am.

Jordan said discussions were being held into the airline’s ongoing viability.

“We apologise to customers who are impacted by this and we’re working as quickly as possible to determine a way forward that ensures there is ongoing competition in the Australian domestic aviation market,” he said.

Virgin Australia stepped in to the breach for stranded passengers on Tuesday, offering free seats to anyone caught out mid-journey by the Bonza groundings.

Tweet from @VirginAustralia

Bonza’s financial position has been the subject of speculation since its first flight in early 2023.

The low-cost airline began flights out of its hub on the Sunshine Coast in late January last year, after finally receiving approval to operate from the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

It originally flew 27 routes to 17 destinations. But speculation about viability emerged soon after, and Bonza axed several unpopular routes and reduced the frequency of others just six months after its first flight.

–more to come