Australian Aviation Podcast Network

When Bonza burst onto the scene in 2023 with its bright purple tails, its budgie smugglers, and its unique "point-to-point" business strategy, the scrappy start-up airline – and its chief executive Tim Jordan – looked to be sparking a revolution in the domestic market.
Just over a year later, however, the lofty goal of being "here for Allstralia" lay in ruins, with Bonza's financier 777 Partners abruptly pulling funding and letting its aircraft be repossessed, leaving Jordan and the rest of the airline's staff and passengers holding the bag.
It's easy in hindsight to say that the idea was doomed from the start, that there was no market for Bonza's idea of connecting regional centres and holiday destinations without connecting through big hubs, but according to Jordan, that's far from the real story.
In this exclusive interview with the Australian Aviation Podcast, his first since his airline's collapse, Jordan tells Jake Nelson how the Bonza dream turned into a nightmare – and why he still thinks there's room for more domestic airlines in Australia's skies.

As Gulf travel remains dicey and Australian travellers rush to connect through Asia, the usual hubs like Singapore and Hong Kong are being joined by other contenders eager to take a slice of the layover pie – and Malaysia Airlines is jockeying to make Kuala Lumpur one of them.
A stone's throw from Singapore and with a raft of connections into Asia and Europe, Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA, to its friends) has the backing of Malaysia's flag carrier, generally lower airfares, and room to grow – but can it take on the might of Changi?
On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, fresh from a long weekend in Kuala Lumpur at the MATTA travel expo, Jake delivers his trip report on Malaysia Airlines and KLIA's offerings for travellers, and he and David discuss how viable KL could be as an alternative to the bigger hubs.
Plus, what's in the federal government's new consumer protection legislation – and how does it stack up?

We often talk about the duopoly in Australia's airline sector – but if you ever needed proof of its power, you'll find it in the latest eye-popping data from the ACCC, which shows Qantas Group and Virgin between them operated almost 99 per cent of all domestic flights in the back half of 2025.
With Rex's domestic jets and Bonza's point-to-point flights a distant memory, we return to the age-old question: can any new contender hope to carve out a niche for itself in a market dominated by the two warring giants of the skies?
In this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David dissect the ACCC's newest domestic airline competition report and once again ask who – if anyone – could break the duopoly's stranglehold on Australia's airspace.
Plus, the first tickets go on sale at Western Sydney International Airport, and how many regional markets have room for more than one carrier?

Australians' love affair with Bali is nothing new, but it sure does seem we're seeing a lot of new and expanded flights there over the past few months – from Jetstar to AirAsia, Avalon to Newcastle, our biggest overseas holiday destination seems to be enjoying a real moment in the sun.
But as Jetstar begins flights connecting through Bali to Singapore and AirAsia offers a smorgasbord of onward fly-through services, could Denpasar become more than just an endpoint for Australian travellers and evolve into a hub in its own right?
On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David take a (metaphorical) trip to Bali and examine just why it appears to be so popular lately – and what it can offer for aviation beyond just the Aussie tourism crowd.
Plus, a caveat emptor from the ACCC for anyone who might be planning to fly through the Gulf any time soon, and will Australia finally ditch the notorious yellow incoming passenger card?

It's a safe bet that before a few weeks ago, not a lot of us would have been able to name the Strait of Hormuz, let alone point to it on a map – but now that it's become one of the biggest geopolitical headaches on the planet (and the reason petrol prices are skyrocketing), suddenly that unassuming body of water is a household name.
More pressingly for aviation, of course, is the fact that the conduit for a fifth of the world's oil has been choked off, meaning jet fuel is suddenly harder to come by. Airlines are raising costs and slashing services to compensate, and there are worried noises from some corners about how much exactly we have in reserve – so, how concerned should we be, exactly?
On this week's Australian Aviation Podcast, Jake and David drill into the Middle East oil crisis, how it's affecting Australian airlines, and whether sustainable aviation fuel might help safeguard against future shocks.
Plus, the first report is out into slot usage at Sydney Airport – so are the big airlines really "gaming the system"?