1 00:00:00,160 --> 00:00:03,680 Speaker 1: As we've discussed earlier this morning, budget airline bondser announcing 2 00:00:03,720 --> 00:00:07,280 Speaker 1: that temporary suspension of services. There's a lot of questions 3 00:00:07,520 --> 00:00:09,880 Speaker 1: this morning being asked about whether they're going to be 4 00:00:09,960 --> 00:00:12,960 Speaker 1: able to get back into the air. Now joining me 5 00:00:13,039 --> 00:00:16,920 Speaker 1: on the line is aviation expert Bruce Dale. Good morning 6 00:00:16,960 --> 00:00:17,919 Speaker 1: to you, Bruce. 7 00:00:18,640 --> 00:00:20,599 Speaker 2: Good morning Katie, Good morning listeners. 8 00:00:20,840 --> 00:00:22,959 Speaker 1: Lovely to have you on the show now. Bruce, I 9 00:00:22,960 --> 00:00:24,960 Speaker 1: guess just a bit of a reminder for our listeners. 10 00:00:24,960 --> 00:00:28,200 Speaker 1: You have worked across a number of different areas within 11 00:00:28,240 --> 00:00:33,599 Speaker 1: the airline industry, so your knowledge is quite extensive in 12 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,760 Speaker 1: your experience. When an airline gets into the situation that 13 00:00:37,840 --> 00:00:42,000 Speaker 1: Bonser is currently in, is it quite difficult to pull 14 00:00:42,000 --> 00:00:43,280 Speaker 1: yourself out. 15 00:00:44,520 --> 00:00:48,680 Speaker 2: It is very difficult for an airline to restart once 16 00:00:48,760 --> 00:00:52,760 Speaker 2: all its aircraft have been grounded. There's every report that 17 00:00:53,080 --> 00:00:56,560 Speaker 2: the leases are trying to get their aircraft back and 18 00:00:56,600 --> 00:01:02,800 Speaker 2: send them overseas. It's not looking good for travelers that 19 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,560 Speaker 2: includes myself. I was due to fly with them tomorrow. 20 00:01:05,680 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 2: I've not had notification yet if the flight's going ahead 21 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:12,160 Speaker 2: or not, but I've already made bookings to reaccommodate myself 22 00:01:12,200 --> 00:01:13,800 Speaker 2: to make sure I get home to day and safely. 23 00:01:14,560 --> 00:01:16,560 Speaker 1: Well, this is the thing, isn't it. You know, if 24 00:01:16,600 --> 00:01:19,360 Speaker 1: you are due to travel with bondser as you are, 25 00:01:20,520 --> 00:01:24,440 Speaker 1: ironically it does it's it would It would make you 26 00:01:24,480 --> 00:01:27,480 Speaker 1: feel very uneasy, even if they haven't been contacted telling 27 00:01:27,480 --> 00:01:30,640 Speaker 1: you that your flight's been canceled yet. Really it seems 28 00:01:30,520 --> 00:01:33,160 Speaker 1: as the sensible thing to do would be to book 29 00:01:33,160 --> 00:01:34,000 Speaker 1: another airline. 30 00:01:35,480 --> 00:01:38,280 Speaker 2: Certainly, I mean it's I know it's uneasy for ourselves. 31 00:01:38,280 --> 00:01:40,520 Speaker 2: I think we also need to acknowledge it's very uneasy 32 00:01:40,560 --> 00:01:42,080 Speaker 2: for many of the aviation workers. 33 00:01:42,080 --> 00:01:42,520 Speaker 1: At the moment. 34 00:01:42,600 --> 00:01:45,240 Speaker 2: We'll be facing an uncertain future about their jobs. So 35 00:01:45,440 --> 00:01:47,840 Speaker 2: I guess I'm trying to keep that in perspective myself 36 00:01:47,920 --> 00:01:51,960 Speaker 2: for the difficulties unfacing. But yes, what I've seen online 37 00:01:52,040 --> 00:01:56,800 Speaker 2: is that both Quantus Group and Virgin are offering a 38 00:01:56,840 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 2: free passage for those who are currently stranded with So 39 00:02:01,000 --> 00:02:03,440 Speaker 2: if you've got any listeners in Darwin or Aila Springs 40 00:02:03,520 --> 00:02:05,680 Speaker 2: were trying to get home down South, reach out to 41 00:02:05,680 --> 00:02:09,680 Speaker 2: those airlines directly. They'll be able to tell you. Unfortunately, 42 00:02:09,880 --> 00:02:12,520 Speaker 2: if it's a bit fur round, your options might be 43 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:17,200 Speaker 2: a little bit more limited. My recommendation is start looking 44 00:02:17,240 --> 00:02:21,440 Speaker 2: now four flights. I would if I was a betting man, 45 00:02:21,520 --> 00:02:23,799 Speaker 2: I would say it's very unlikely Bonser will be flying 46 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:25,679 Speaker 2: again in the very near future. Unfortunately. 47 00:02:26,080 --> 00:02:29,280 Speaker 1: Yeah, even this morning, I mean the updated sort of 48 00:02:29,320 --> 00:02:32,120 Speaker 1: news was that they had said that the grounding of 49 00:02:32,160 --> 00:02:35,560 Speaker 1: the fleet's currently up to and including Thursday, the second 50 00:02:35,600 --> 00:02:38,560 Speaker 1: of May, and customers with bookings during that period are 51 00:02:38,600 --> 00:02:41,840 Speaker 1: advised not to travel to the airport. Bruce, have you 52 00:02:41,960 --> 00:02:44,600 Speaker 1: got much of an idea what's sort of gone wrong 53 00:02:44,720 --> 00:02:47,000 Speaker 1: here for Bonza? 54 00:02:47,200 --> 00:02:50,639 Speaker 2: Yes, they it's a couple of things, key things. I think. 55 00:02:50,680 --> 00:02:53,720 Speaker 2: First of all, they tried something different and that was 56 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:57,680 Speaker 2: to link smaller ports in Australia with each other. But 57 00:02:57,800 --> 00:03:01,200 Speaker 2: they were using quite large aircraft, one hundred and ninety seats, 58 00:03:01,200 --> 00:03:03,480 Speaker 2: so that's a lot of seats to fill. And if 59 00:03:03,480 --> 00:03:08,560 Speaker 2: you're a low cost business airline, well, if actual business model, 60 00:03:08,560 --> 00:03:11,800 Speaker 2: I should say, you need to actually pack those passengers 61 00:03:11,800 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 2: in to make those low faares liable. And from all 62 00:03:15,040 --> 00:03:21,200 Speaker 2: reports they were struggling their operational difficulties, which saw flights 63 00:03:21,280 --> 00:03:25,880 Speaker 2: canceled at short notice. You negatively impact customer demand. I mean, 64 00:03:25,919 --> 00:03:27,519 Speaker 2: why would you take the risk of climing them if 65 00:03:27,520 --> 00:03:30,200 Speaker 2: they could be canceled the day or so before travel, 66 00:03:30,480 --> 00:03:34,280 Speaker 2: and unfortunately it's like too much. Too many challenges happened 67 00:03:34,320 --> 00:03:37,080 Speaker 2: at once and it seems like they're unable to keep flying. 68 00:03:37,480 --> 00:03:39,800 Speaker 1: Part of me feels for them because you think to yourself, 69 00:03:39,800 --> 00:03:43,120 Speaker 1: we all really wanted to see that connectivity, particularly within 70 00:03:43,200 --> 00:03:45,400 Speaker 1: regional Australia. 71 00:03:45,520 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 2: Absolutely, I mean Alice Springs, I know the tourism operators 72 00:03:49,320 --> 00:03:52,000 Speaker 2: down there who were selling holiday packages. They're going to 73 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:54,480 Speaker 2: be another sector of the territory and community which has 74 00:03:54,520 --> 00:03:57,880 Speaker 2: been impacted financially by them. So it's not just the travelers. 75 00:03:59,040 --> 00:04:01,240 Speaker 2: I think the psychological boost the thought that actually I 76 00:04:01,320 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 2: might be able to see Grandma twice a year instead 77 00:04:04,920 --> 00:04:06,880 Speaker 2: of once a year or once every two years. I 78 00:04:06,880 --> 00:04:09,480 Speaker 2: mean for those people who are doing it tough at 79 00:04:09,480 --> 00:04:12,200 Speaker 2: the moment with the cost of living, new answers fortunate 80 00:04:12,200 --> 00:04:14,120 Speaker 2: as me to be able to have the financial means 81 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:16,800 Speaker 2: to buy a last minute fair to get myself to 82 00:04:16,880 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 2: my destination on time. So it is going to have 83 00:04:20,120 --> 00:04:24,520 Speaker 2: an impact for many people. And as I speak quoted Elsa, 84 00:04:24,680 --> 00:04:27,159 Speaker 2: so hats off to them for trying something different to 85 00:04:27,160 --> 00:04:29,880 Speaker 2: seeing if there was a market. Unfortunately it might not have. 86 00:04:29,839 --> 00:04:32,719 Speaker 1: Worked out yeah, now tell me, and I don't know 87 00:04:33,200 --> 00:04:36,320 Speaker 1: whether you'll have much more detail, but we really don't 88 00:04:36,360 --> 00:04:39,640 Speaker 1: know a lot about how much the government provided to 89 00:04:39,720 --> 00:04:42,880 Speaker 1: the airline as part of that aviation attraction scheme. But 90 00:04:43,000 --> 00:04:46,559 Speaker 1: you'd have to assume that we as taxpayers have taken 91 00:04:46,560 --> 00:04:47,880 Speaker 1: a bit of a hit here, haven't we. 92 00:04:50,520 --> 00:04:53,920 Speaker 2: I don't know the full details of that, but normally 93 00:04:54,000 --> 00:04:57,159 Speaker 2: what happens in these schemes is that it is basically 94 00:04:57,200 --> 00:05:00,960 Speaker 2: based on when the passengers are flown. Woods there does 95 00:05:01,040 --> 00:05:02,800 Speaker 2: tend to be you know, once they've flown, that's when 96 00:05:02,800 --> 00:05:07,120 Speaker 2: the money comes through. I'm necessarily coming in advance. So 97 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:10,960 Speaker 2: that's the normal situation for aviation rebates where I've been 98 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 2: around the world. Of course, they would be commercial and 99 00:05:15,600 --> 00:05:20,640 Speaker 2: confidence deals between Darwin Airport and the NTG government, so 100 00:05:20,680 --> 00:05:24,720 Speaker 2: they'll be a better place to provide that information. But 101 00:05:24,800 --> 00:05:27,840 Speaker 2: my expectation is it might not be as bad as 102 00:05:28,400 --> 00:05:30,920 Speaker 2: people might be perceiving. They certainly wouldn't have got the 103 00:05:30,960 --> 00:05:34,159 Speaker 2: full ten million dollars of the tourism aviation attraction scheme, 104 00:05:35,720 --> 00:05:39,479 Speaker 2: so's we just have to out and see what comes 105 00:05:39,520 --> 00:05:40,080 Speaker 2: out in the wash. 106 00:05:40,200 --> 00:05:44,719 Speaker 1: Well, that's a positive. Hopefully press are also hearing that 107 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:47,440 Speaker 1: the price of Virgin flights to major capital cities of 108 00:05:47,520 --> 00:05:50,440 Speaker 1: skyrocketed in recent days. Do you know anything about that? 109 00:05:55,120 --> 00:05:57,080 Speaker 2: Not too sure, But what I am aware of is 110 00:05:57,080 --> 00:05:59,760 Speaker 2: that the runway works are back into effect and depending 111 00:05:59,800 --> 00:06:03,840 Speaker 2: on when you're traveling, if you are traveling booking late notice, 112 00:06:03,880 --> 00:06:06,840 Speaker 2: when the flight, when the seats on the flights are 113 00:06:06,839 --> 00:06:09,520 Speaker 2: capped because of the shorter runway, that could also be 114 00:06:09,520 --> 00:06:11,960 Speaker 2: paying an impact as well, so it be Virgin and 115 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:16,360 Speaker 2: other airlines as well. I think it's the unfortunate nature 116 00:06:16,400 --> 00:06:19,239 Speaker 2: of airline travel is that people who are booking last 117 00:06:19,240 --> 00:06:22,320 Speaker 2: minute will pay top dollar. I know I've paid quite 118 00:06:22,320 --> 00:06:24,680 Speaker 2: a bit to actually get back from New Zealand to 119 00:06:24,800 --> 00:06:31,600 Speaker 2: Darwin because of the bonds of situation. It's it is unfortunate, 120 00:06:31,720 --> 00:06:34,880 Speaker 2: especially if it's short short notice and the cancelation of 121 00:06:34,880 --> 00:06:36,840 Speaker 2: the bonds of services when they're also trying to get 122 00:06:36,880 --> 00:06:40,599 Speaker 2: more passengers on the aircraft as well, which would help 123 00:06:40,680 --> 00:06:44,520 Speaker 2: stranded people. Yeah, I can't say too much more than that. 124 00:06:44,720 --> 00:06:46,440 Speaker 1: No, that's all right, hey, before I let you go 125 00:06:46,480 --> 00:06:49,960 Speaker 1: this morning. It does seem difficult in Australia for new 126 00:06:49,960 --> 00:06:53,280 Speaker 1: airlines sort of trying to enter the market. We've seen 127 00:06:53,279 --> 00:06:56,560 Speaker 1: on numerous occasions, haven't we Over the years, different airlines 128 00:06:56,600 --> 00:06:59,039 Speaker 1: given it a go Tiger. I'm trying to think of 129 00:06:59,080 --> 00:07:02,280 Speaker 1: some of the others. There's been quite a few over 130 00:07:02,320 --> 00:07:04,080 Speaker 1: the years, but it does seem tough for them. 131 00:07:05,360 --> 00:07:10,160 Speaker 2: Oh, the airline industry is very tough. I think the 132 00:07:10,200 --> 00:07:12,400 Speaker 2: failure rate can be as much as ninety percent, so 133 00:07:12,440 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 2: that's across the world. It's not just an Australian issue. 134 00:07:19,240 --> 00:07:21,440 Speaker 2: The challenges, of course, would be getting access to the 135 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:25,640 Speaker 2: capital city markets, particularly Sydney. Western Sydney Airport's opening in 136 00:07:25,640 --> 00:07:28,640 Speaker 2: the very near future, so hopefully that will provide some 137 00:07:29,240 --> 00:07:32,240 Speaker 2: relief that people wanting to fly to Sydney. But it's 138 00:07:32,280 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 2: a high cost business. You're easily looking about twenty thousand 139 00:07:36,440 --> 00:07:40,040 Speaker 2: dollars an hour plus to run even the most basic aircraft, 140 00:07:40,160 --> 00:07:43,240 Speaker 2: so it's very easy to burn through a lot of 141 00:07:43,240 --> 00:07:46,680 Speaker 2: cash quickly as you're in the startup phase. So the 142 00:07:46,800 --> 00:07:49,880 Speaker 2: good luck I mean sorry that Bonds has gone bus 143 00:07:50,040 --> 00:07:53,000 Speaker 2: is great that they tried something different and all we 144 00:07:53,040 --> 00:07:55,800 Speaker 2: can do I mean I guess as an industry representative 145 00:07:55,840 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 2: is learn from that and hopefully make the next one 146 00:07:58,200 --> 00:07:58,840 Speaker 2: of success. 147 00:07:58,960 --> 00:08:04,320 Speaker 1: Yeah. Stale Aviation expert and currently trying to get home 148 00:08:04,360 --> 00:08:07,280 Speaker 1: as well after your bonds of flight's being canceled or 149 00:08:07,280 --> 00:08:09,400 Speaker 1: you're not one hundred percent sure yet, but up and 150 00:08:09,880 --> 00:08:13,080 Speaker 1: unfortunately not up in the air is probably the more 151 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:14,480 Speaker 1: accurate way for me to say. 152 00:08:14,320 --> 00:08:17,640 Speaker 2: It, but not really granted, but I'm definitely getting home 153 00:08:17,640 --> 00:08:19,320 Speaker 2: and can't wait to be back and go. Yeah. 154 00:08:19,480 --> 00:08:21,480 Speaker 1: Good on you. Thank you as always for your time 155 00:08:21,520 --> 00:08:22,800 Speaker 1: this morning. I appreciate it. 156 00:08:23,680 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 2: Thank you, Katie, thank you