A first look on board new budget airline promising regional flights

New low-cost airline Bonza is the latest player in a crowded airspace, promising low prices to more regional destinations.

But after launching last year with great fanfare, it's still yet to get in the air.

A Current Affair was given the first, exclusive look inside one of the planes before the budget airline does take off.

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"We are working very hard for wheels up," Bonza's Chief Commercial Officer Carly Povey said.

Bonza launched with great fanfare in October last year, but more than a year on, it's yet to take flight. Yet optimism remains high.

"The demand has probably never been higher. So now's the time for Bonza," Povey said.

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The Sunshine Coast operation is at full throttle in preparation for take-off, rolling in its new jets with its uniquely Aussie names.

"Chosen by our customers, we told them we wanted to nickname them (the) most Aussie nicknames and they voted Shazza," Povey said.

"Shazza has a friend who's parked next door who's Bazza and the next friend, Sheila, also named by our customers, is on her way soon."

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The airline is promising to fly to the country's forgotten regional towns like Mildura, Albury, Coffs Harbour and the Whitsunday coast.

"We've got 27 routes, 96 per cent of those routes are not available (at) low cost," Povey said.

She said 93 per cent of flights don't fly to regional locations directly at the moment, but Bonza will.

Bonza is promising flights that start from just $55 with its inaugural route set to be from the Sunshine Coast to the Whitsundays for $59 one way.

There's just one thing stopping Bonza from taking on its first passengers.

The airline is yet to receive approval from the regulatory body, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA). When it will come through is anyone's guess.

"It's a lengthy process. It's a rigorous process and quite rightly," Povey said.

"When they tell us they're happy and we're ready, we're ready."

But Shazza's failure to launch hasn't stopped the company hiring its fleet of crew.

For pilot Andrew Peters, Bonza has been a saving grace.

"Unfortunately when COVID hit, I got made redundant," Peters said.

"Then when this opportunity came up, I thought it's got my name on it. (It's) 10 minutes from home, five brand new planes and (I) get to go home every night. It's the perfect job."

It's been more than 15 years since a new airline launched in Australia and Peters believes the timing is right for a new player.

"You hear the stories all the time ... lost baggage, cancelled flights, flights delayed," he said.

"We're offering a new product that people have never heard of before and routes they've never flown on before."

It will also be the first time the Boeing 737-8 MAX is flown in Australia.

With three brand new planes from Boeing, Bonza is hoping to expand its fleet to eight planes in the first year.

They've got the planes, they've got the staff and they've even got a new menu on board, so now all they need is the green light for takeoff.

"We're serious about being here for the long term and so that really is about executing well," Povey said.