Chinese brand MG has previewed its new Cyberster roadster in a new video, with the new electric roadster set to arrive before 2024.
Posting the video on social media, MG showcased the future EV’s sleek body styling, electric canvas roof, yoke steering wheel and two-tone seats.
Elements of the car such as the rear lights have been designed using inspiration from the Union Jack flag, highlighting the brand’s British past.
The video also suggested the drop-top EV could have scissor doors.
MG’s two-seater electric sports car was first previewed in 2021 and was only considered for production after 5,000 potential buyers expressed an interest in the concept.
The Cyberster’s recently revealed design patents show that the roadster will effectively serve as an electric rival to the Mazda MX-5, while competing with other ICE-powered sports cars.
MG has offered no insight into the Cyberster’s powertrain, pricing or performance, but said its concept was based on a bespoke EV architecture, offering a claimed range of 497 miles and a 0-62mph time of less than 3.0 secs.
The Chinese firm recently unveiled the MG 4 hatchback which will arrive in the UK at the end of the year. The MG 4 will be the first of a number of EVs based on the new Modular Scalable Platform – from MG’s parent firm SAIC – which is likely to be used by the Cyberster.
This could mean that the future roadster could be offered with either a 120kW or 150kW single-motor, rear-wheel-drive powertrain, with a range topping 330kW, dual-motor set-up also an option.
The MG 4 is available with either a 51kWh or 64kWh battery which should offer a range of more than 200 miles.
Image courtesy of Coach
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It’s been an emotional $200,000 Darwin Cup win for Playoffs in the Top End.
Trainer Gary Clarke made it a feature race double after his sprinter Syncline won the Palmerston Sprint on Saturday.
Clarke, wife Sharlene and his family had their son, Guy, looking down on them after he tragically lost his life late last year.
Playoffs is part-owned by Colin McKenna who has owned some great horses, including Caulfield Cup winner Jameka, as well as his former trainer and now industry superstar Ciaron Maher.
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Ella Clarke and Dad Gary after winning the Darwin Cup. Picture: Glenn Campbell
Verry Elleegant’s part-owner John O’Neill is also in the horse.
Darwin identities, crocodile farmer and pub owner Mick Burns and property developer Brooke David are also in the ownership group, alongside Atomic 212 head honchos Barry O’Brien and his son Damien.
Jarrod Todd rides Playoffs over the finish line to win the Darwin Cup 2022. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson
Playoffs ($5.50), who settled on the speed throughout, was too good for roughies Kaonic ($41) and Vallabar ($41).
Noir De Rue ($26) ran fourth.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FULL DARWIN CUP RESULTS
Playoffs were dominant.
Hot favorite Living The Dream ($2.25) had a sweet run in transit but dropped right out in the straight.
Playoffs, who has now won his only two starts in Darwin earning in excess of $180,000 prizemoney, was ridden by Jarrod Todd.
For Clarke it was his fourth Darwin Cup, having won one as a jockey and three as a trainer.
“It was a big win. A race like that isn’t something you do with just one or two months of planning, it takes six months,” Clarke said.
“What you need to do in a race like this is staying out of trouble.
“I knew he had the ability to win it, the only unknown factor was if he had the speed coming out the gates.
“It’s been a very hard year, but we’ve had good people around us and good staff that sort of helped us through. We’ve had good help all the way through.”
Todd called the win a very special occasion for himself and the Clarke family, who he credited for the amount of work they put in.
“It’s pretty special, it’s pretty special for Gary and the family who lost their son… I couldn’t be happier with the result,” Todd said.
“I put in a fair work to get here but nothing like Gary and Sharlene who deal with everything they can and I’m just lucky enough to pilot the horses.
“Playoffs held a strong gallop. He could have gone another 200m and still won it so a really good run from the horse.”
The Clarke clan before the race. Picture: Glenn Campbell
A crowd of 16,000 was on track at Fannie Bay for the biggest race day in the Northern Territory.
The Clarke family was also hit hard when their No.1 stable rider and great friend Simone Montgomerie was killed in a race fall on Darwin Cup day in 2013.
Trainer Gary Clarke after the race. Picture: (A)manda Parkinson
***
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Power lines are down, trees uprooted, fences destroyed and traffic lights out across Perth and the South West amid gale force winds and heavy rain overnight.
Emergency services have been stretched to the limit as they respond to multiple calls for help — including one person who was trapped in their car early Tuesday morning after they drove over failed power lines in Midland.
More than 32,000 homes are without power, with blackouts stretching from Two Rocks down to Pemberton.
DFES received more than 186 calls for help overnight, with a spokesperson confirming the main incidents were in the metro area.
A large tree has fallen onto Melville Parade in Como, blocking traffic. Credit: Paul Entwistle/Twitter
Those without power can expect to wait several hours until it is restored with Western Power warning repairs will be “delayed” due to the challenging weather conditions.
Described by the Bureau of Meteorology WA as an eleven-in-a-year storm, a strong cold front smashed the south-western corner of the State on Monday and into the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Police responded to more than seven storm-related incidents on Tuesday morning, including the Midland incident which is still unfolding. Western Power and DFES are also responding.
In Gooseberry Hill, a tree fell on a house bringing it with it power lines that have covered parts of the road. There have also been multiple crashes.
Gale force winds ripped off the Big W sign at Belmont Forum. Credit: daniel wilkins/The West Australian
Riverside Drive has been closed due to flooding, from Victoria Avenue to Barrack Street and Main Roads WA has warned motorists traveling into the city to allow for extra travel time.
Main Roads WA have alerted motorists that several traffic lights are down across Morley, Menora, Balga, Langford, Ferndale, and Rockingham and urged drivers to slow down and give way to the right.
The Bureau of Meteorology released a statement Tuesday morning stating the “series of strong cold fronts” will continue across the State until Wednesday.
“Thunderstorms and gale force winds exceeding 90km/h are expected for parts of the region,” the statement read.
“This weather system is expected to be windier and longer lasting than a typical front and is likely to produce the kind of weather that is only seen about once per year.”
Two large trees have been ripped from their roots during the storm overnight. Credit: Tracy Brownell/Facebook
Cape Leeuwin recorded a dangerous wind gust of 137km/h on Monday night, while Bickley recorded a gusty 117km/h on Tuesday morning.
Cape Naturaliste recorded 111km/h winds, Gingin Airport 109km/h, Shark Bay airport 107km/h, and the Busselton Jetty 100km/h.
As the cold fronts move through, heavy rains and thunderstorms are drenching the Perth area, with the metro region recording 44mm of rainfall.
A tree comes down during the night crashing onto a patio roof in Mundaring. Credit: Cherie Ward/Facebook
Gooseberry Hill copped to 43.8mm soaking, while coastal Swanbourne recorded 39.2mm.
In the South-West, areas including Bunbury recorded 61.6mm of rain, while 30.9mm hit the rain gauge in Albany.
Emergency WA have kept their severe weather warning alert in place, stating damaging gale-force winds could cause damage to homes and make travel dangerous.
“If outside find safe shelter away from trees, powerlines, storm water drains and streams,” the warning read.
“Close your curtains and blinds, and stay inside away from windows.
“If there is flooding, create your own sandbags by using pillow cases filled with sand and place them around doorways to protect your home.”
Multiple trees and power lines have been blown down during the storm along O’Connor Road in Mahogany Creek. Credit: Tamzin Scott/Facebook
Surfers are also advised to stay out of the water on Tuesday with dangerous swell expected.
“A vigorous westerly flow with embedded cold fronts will drive the development of large and powerful waves that will continue through Tuesday and Wednesday,” DFES said.
“Sustained heavy surf to develop along parts of the coast exposed to the West-Southwest from late Monday night, with the potential for significant coastal erosion.
“Significant wave heights exceeding 7 meters are expected in exposed locations.”
California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D) talks with reporters after a meeting with Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., in the US Capitol, on Friday, July 15, 2022.
Tom-Williams | CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images
California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the rapidly spreading monkeypox outbreak on Monday, the third US state to do so in a matter of days.
Newsom said the emergency declaration would help support the state’s vaccination efforts. Demand for the vaccines has outstripped supply as infections rise. Staff at sexual health clinics and other sites have struggled to keep up with the influx of people seeking the shots.
California is mobilizing personnel from its Emergency Medical Services to help administer the monkeypox vaccines. Newsom said the state is working across all levels of government to slow the spread through testing, contract tracing and community outreach.
California’s declaration comes after Illinois declared a public health emergency earlier Monday. New York declared a state disaster emergency in response to the outbreak late Friday.
The US has reported nearly 6,000 cases of monkeypox across 48 states, Washington DC, and Puerto Rico, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The outbreak has spread swiftly since health authorities in Boston confirmed the first US case in May.
California, Illinois and New York – home to the nation’s three largest cities – have reported 47% of all confirmed monkeypox infections in the US New York is the epicenter of the outbreak in the US, with nearly 1,400 confirmed cases as of Monday.
The Biden administration is weighing whether to declare a public health emergency in the US, according to senior federal health officials. This would help mobilize resources for state health officials that are battling the outbreak. The last time the US declared a public health emergency was in response to Covid-19 in January 2020.
This is breaking news. Please check back for updates.
With that in mind, Cbus Property went back to the drawing board last year to rejig its plans for the 48-storey at 435 Bourke Street, on the corner with Queen Street in Melbourne.
While the developer already had an approval in hand for an office development across the four sites it had amalgamated, the “flight to quality” theme emerging out of the pandemic prompted a rethink.
The 60,000-square-meter tower will include landscaped open-air or mixed-mode terraces.
“Given people are still trying to get their minds around coming back to the office, of course it’s a challenging market. But if you’ve got the best product out in the market, it should attract the right caliber of tenants,” Mr Pozzo said.
Freshly approved by the state government, the Bates Smart-designed tower will comprise 60,000 square meters, enough room for about 5,500 city workers.
A key improvement to the design is a “solar skin” wrapping around the façade, that will generate about 20 per cent of the base building electricity requirements. The balance of the building, which is designed to achieve net-zero carbon in operation, will be powered by off-site renewable electricity.
Adding to the post-pandemic appeal of 435 Bourke will be a sky garden, along with several landscaped open-air and mixed-mode terraces as well as an atrium.
Such areas are a recognition that many staff are now more accustomed to working in informal settings, according to Mr Pozzo and Colliers’ Andrew Beasley, who is managing the leasing for the new tower.
“We took the time to interview major occupiers over the COVID-19 lockdown period to learn what these organizations would like to see in a new development in a post-COVID world,” Mr Beasley said.
All going to plan, demolition will finish by early next year, allowing construction to begin on the tower which could be completed by late 2026.
Uniden has released a new outdoor security camera – the App Cam Solo Pro 2K – a wirefree spotlight and security camera in one that’s designed for Australian homes and weather conditions.
The weatherproof camera has 2K resolution with a 120-degree wide angle field of view to view and record even more in greater detail. And at this resolution it’s possible to zoom in to view objects even closer.
Uniden’s App Cam Solo Pro 2K works effectively day and night.
The spotlight has a passive infrared sensor so it has even better vision to spot anyone approaching your property.
And when combined with the built-in spotlight, users can view color night vision footage of objects or people up to 10m away.
Onboard is AI intelligent alerts so the user can be notified via the Solo app whether there is a person or vehicle on their property.
This intelligence means you only get alerted when you need to.
The Uniden camera also has Thermo Sense technology which detected both body heat and movement to reduce the number of false notifications which could be triggered on a regular security camera like moving trees or passing cars and other benign activity. Customers can also purchase the optional Uniden Solar Panel which can be installed beside the camera and positioned to receive good sunlight exposure to keep the camera charged and operating non-stop during daylight hours.
Once installed, the Uniden App Cam Solo Pro 2K camera can be monitored through the companion smartphone app which makes it possible to view live footage anywhere in the world and even enable clear two-way audio so you can talk to whoever’s in front of the camera like a courier delivering a parcel at your front door.
The Uniden App Cam Solo Pro 2K can store your footage on an SD card inside the camera or through the Uniden Cloud Service which offers seven days of free cloud backup for the life of the product.
There are also plans for those who require longer storage.
Key features:
2K super HD resolution
Completely 100% wire-free over Wi-Fi
Spotlight & Camera in One
AI intelligent alerts and notifications
Color Night Vision
two way talk
Free 7 Days of Rolling Cloud Backup + Micro SD Card Backup
privacy-masking
ThermoSense Technology
Compatible with Google Assistant and Alexa
Dual Band Wi-Fi (2.4GHz/5.8GHz)
rechargeable battery
Optional Solar Panel for non-stop power with up to 180 days of operating
siren alert
Motion detection record
Weatherproof(IP65)
Two-year Australian warranty
The Uniden Guardian App Cam Solo PRO 2K is priced at $279.95. The Uniden App Cam Solo+ Solar Panel is available for $99.95.
Football Australia will now lean heavily upon that wisdom to set the country’s football direction.
Born in Scotland where he played semi-professionally, Merrick moved to Melbourne in 1975 and swiftly rose through the football ranks as a coach – first at local level, then the old National Soccer League, the Victorian Institute of Sport (where he had a hand in the development of players like Vince Grella, Mark Bresciano and Simon Colosimo), and then in the A-League, where he managed three different clubs. He also had a short stint as coach of the Hong Kong national team.
Ernie Merrick, left, has been helping Brett Ratten at St Kilda.Credit:Getty Images
When he coached Victory through an iconic era for the club between 2005 and 2011, the football they played was always easy on the eye, and in his last job at Newcastle Jets, he took them to a surprise grand final appearance in 2019 on one of the league’s most meager budgets.
Sacked by the Jets in January 2020, Merrick has not worked with a team since, and it seemed as if his days of working at the top level were reluctantly at an end. This year, he has been working as a mentor for Brett Ratten, coach of AFL club St Kilda. Merrick has now accepted what he says is the most important job of his career to date.
“I’ve never been one for retirement. I’ve always been a worker, and I’m really, really looking forward to having an influence – a positive influence, I hope – on football in this country,” Merrick said.
His top priority is a review of Australia’s development pathways and improving the national coaching curriculum in line with best practice in football abroad.
Asked where Australia was getting things wrong, Merrick said: “Well, I can’t say that until I can conduct a full review, but I think we’re doing a lot of things right.
“We have qualified for the fifth time for the [men’s] World Cup. The Matildas have been in the top 10 nations in the FIFA rankings until recently. We’ve got our youngsters playing in an under-20 women’s World Cup over in Costa Rica in August. There’s a lot of things going well, but it’s all about continuing to grow, develop, innovate and drive positive change. And that’s what I’ll be aiming to do.”
Merrick will have a very broad range of responsibilities as chief football officer, from advising Football Australia on football matters and global trends, helping to define and set a ‘national style’ of play.
He will also oversee coach education programs, help optimize player development systems and assist Johnson in pushing through proposed reforms like the domestic transfer system and national second division, which he said was a “crucial” missing piece of the puzzle in Australia.
loading
“The person I portray on match day, with my dour face, people think I’ll be a good disrupter, but I’m not really very good at that. I think I’m better at convincing people of the way forward and collaborating and cooperation,” Merrick said.
“If we’re going to be successful, innovate, change and grow to a stronger level of football… we’ve all got to work together. And I think that’s where my strength is.”
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Two crucifixes were found in a Canterbury apartment where Saudi sisters Asra Abdullah Alsehli, 24, and Amaal Abdullah Alsehli, 23, were found dead in June, a worker with access to the apartment has told the ABC.
The discovery was made after the women’s bodies were removed.
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Step inside the apartment with Background Briefing
The worker told the ABC that the crucifixes were found on the floor of one of the bedrooms.
The ABC could not independently corroborate this claim.
It’s unclear whether the discovery of the crosses was a sign that the sisters had renounced Islam and converted to Christianity or whether they were using them as a disguise.
No signs of forced entry
In June, the bodies of the women were found naked and in separate beds.
This prompted the apartment’s building manager Michael Baird to dismiss suicide as a potential cause of death.
“Two young women do not commit suicide together unless they’re doing it together. They don’t get naked, they don’t go to separate rooms, they don’t die separately,” he said.
Police say they have not yet ruled out homicide or suicide as their investigations continue.
A worker, who accessed the apartment after the police had made the grim discovery, said the sisters’ bodies were found in a state of decomposition.
Last month, tradespeople entered the apartment to replace the flooring.
One told the ABC that the apartment still “has the smell of dead bodies.”
The sisters are thought to have been dead for over a month before a sheriff was called at the behest of their landlord, as the girls were behind on rent payments. This sheriff made the discovery and called the police.
After locating the bodies, police said there were no obvious signs of injury or forced entry although they have called the deaths “unusual.”
They are waiting on the results of postmortem examinations and toxicology tests.
In a press conference last week, the NSW Police released images of the two women and published their names, as they launched a community appeal for any information about the women’s movements.
Burwood Police Station has now established Strike Force Woolbird to investigate the circumstances surrounding their deaths.
The apartment block in Canterbury in Sydney’s western suburbs where two Saudi women were found dead in June 2022. (ABC RN: Brendan Esposito)
living in fear
The ABC has confirmed that the sisters had applied for a protection visa with the Department of Home Affairs, and they had been in contact with a settlement service for refugees.
Michael Baird, a director of Sydney’s Transparent FM Building Management which manages the Canterbury apartment block, said he was aware that the young women were concerned about their safety.
In a January 2022 email sent to the site manager, younger sister Amaal asked if building management could check the security cameras as she feared someone had tampered with a recent food delivery order.
“I think the girls were very, very scared. Very afraid of something. And we’re not sure whether it was something or someone, they didn’t tell us,” Mr Baird said.
Mr Baird said his first interaction with the women had taken place earlier this yearwhen their car had been “keyed”.
“We believed that it was not a personal attack on them because they’d parked their car in an unusual position. And somebody’s obviously taken offense to it,” Mr Baird said, about the incident.
His second interaction with the women was when he organized for a plumber to visit their apartment.
“When [the plumber] came out of that unit, he said that he was concerned that there was something untoward happening in the apartment. He got a very bad vibe,” Mr Baird said.
“He was pretty shaken up. He said, ‘I’m never coming back to that apartment again’.”
Mr Baird asked the local site manager to contact the police at the time and he understood that the women had subsequently told police they were fine.
Mr Baird has not been contacted by the police for a statement.
Another building worker told the ABC that he knew that the women had noticed a man watching their apartment from across the street.
The worker, who is familiar with the building’s residents, said he’d also seen an unknown Middle Eastern man inside the building on two occasions in the months leading up to the sisters’ death.
The building worker said when he asked the man which apartment he was from, the man gave the women’s address.
‘really good people’
The sisters arrived in Australia from Saudi Arabia in 2017.
They lived in Sydney’s western suburbs for about eighteen months with their friend Rita, while they attended the local TAFE.
“[Amaal and Asra] we were just really good people. They did nothing harmful,” Rita said.
“They moved to this house because it was like closer to their TAFE. And they usually stayed up all night and only slept in the morning.”
She said the women worked in construction. They had applied for an ABN in 2018, and were registered as sole traders.
Rita said the sisters’ mother had visited Australia on one occasion.
“Their mum came here once. She didn’t like it. Then she went back to her country,” Rita said.
The young women led a discreet life. They didn’t have many visitors, apart from a man Rita believed to be Asra’s boyfriend, an “Iraqi man with a beard”.
Early in 2020, after they’d lived with Rita for about 18 months, the sisters decided to move out.
They moved into the Canterbury apartment in November 2021.
At the time of publication, Rita said the police had not interviewed her or her family.
A Home Affairs departmental spokesperson told the ABC: “The Department does not comment on individual cases.”
Since 2017, 86 women from Saudi Arabia applied for permanent protection in Australia and 75 were granted a permanent protection visa.
This story has been updated from an earlier version to clarify who found the women’s bodies.
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A bipartisan group of senators has unveiled compromise legislation to guarantee federal access to abortion, an effort to codify abortion after the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. It faces an uphill battle in the Senate, where it is unlikely to gain enough Republican support.
The legislation, co-authored by Democratic Sens. Tim Kaine (Va.) and Kyrsten Sinema (Ariz.) and Republican Sens. Susan Collins (Maine) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska), is an attempt to create a middle ground on an issue that is largely pitting anti-abortion Republicans against pro-abortion rights Democrats.
Since the Supreme Court ruling on Dobbsv. Jackson Women’s Health Organization in June, 17 states have either outlawed or mostly banned abortion. A handful of other states are in the process of prohibiting abortion, and on Tuesday, Kansas will be the first state where voters are set to go the polls to determine whether the state will reverse the constitutional right to an abortion.
The compromise legislation unveiled Monday ensures federal abortion rights up to viability, and allows post-viability abortion when the health of the mother is in jeopardy. The statute does not specify what week is viability or what constitutes when a mother’s health is in danger. Both issues are to be defined by the pregnant person’s medical practitioner.
“It clearly uses viability as a key distinction,” Kaine said. “Pre-viability women should have significant freedom — a state can regulate but can’t put an undue burden. Post-viability, the state can regulate a lot more, but can never stop a woman from accessing an abortion for her life and her health.”
The measure comes after Senate Democrats attempted to pass partisan legislation that would codify Roe. The vote in May, after a draft version of the Supreme Court decision was leaked, failed, gaining the support of 49 Democrats. One Democrat, Sen. Joe Manchin III (DW.Va.) and all Republicans, voted against it, including Collins and Murkowksi because, they said, it went far beyond codifying Roe.
Kaine admits, however, that the proposal being unveiled Monday does not have the support of 10 Republicans needed for it to pass the Senate. Still, he said it’s an important marker in the conversation.
The bipartisan bill, called the Reproductive Freedom for All Act, also ensures access to contraception, which abortion advocates fear will be outlawed in some conservative states or that Griswold v. Connecticut, the Supreme Court case that granted a personal right to contraception, would be overturned. The bill also includes a conscience clause, which allows a provider to opt out of abortion services if it violates a religious belief, an issue that was important to Collins.
“There’s a majority of the US Senate that wants to codify Roe v. Wadeand to leave the impression that there’s only a minority that wants to codify Roe v. WadeI think, is that’s a weak position to be in,” Kaine said in an interview Monday.
“For five decades, reproductive health-care decisions were centered with the individual — we cannot go back in time in limiting personal freedoms for women,” Murkowski said in a statement.
It’s not clear that Senate Majority Leader Charles E. Schumer (DN.Y.) would bring up the bill for a vote ahead of the midterm elections in November. There has been disagreement in the Democratic caucus on whether a bipartisan bill that has no chance of passage should be brought forward, which would make it more difficult for Democratic candidates to contrast themselves with Republicans. And many Democrats, Kaine said, would prefer the Democratic version of the bill, the Women’s Health Protection Act, which includes fewer limitations on abortion.
Kaine calls the bill the bare minimum.
“What the four of us were trying to do was put a statutory minimum in place that replicated what the law was a day before dobbs,” he said.
Recent polling by The Washington Post-Schar School found that a majority of respondents — 58 percent — supported access to abortion until viability, including 77 percent of Democrats and 59 percent of independents. Just 34 percent of Republicans, however, supported it.
Abortion rights groups are critical of the proposal, in part because it won’t pass the Senate because of the 60-vote threshold in that chamber.
“This bill is just another political stunt that would not actually address the abortion rights and access crisis that has pushed care out of reach for millions of people already,” NARAL Pro-Choice America President Mini Timmaraju said in a statement. “Unless these senators are willing to end the filibuster to pass this measure, there’s no reason to take it seriously.”
The fledgling Australian airline has moved towards welcoming its first paying passengers on board. The airline’s first plane, a gleaming Boeing 737 MAX 8, is touching down at Bonza’s Queensland HQ on Monday morning local time. The plane’s arrival marks a milestone for founder Tim Jordan who has always remained resolutely upbeat despite many skeptics suggesting this day would never come.
Bonza’s first MAX 8 hops across the Pacific
Some keen planespotters spied Bonza’s first plane around a month ago, jetting between airports in the western half of the United States, progressively having the final touches applied to its new livery. The 737 MAX 8 was built in later 2019 and initially destined for LOT Polish Airlines but never taken up. Since then, the jet has mostly sat idle. Bonza’s financial backers, the Miami-based 777 Partners, later took the plane up through their own aircraft leasing company. SP-LVO became VH-UJT and swapped a potential home in Warsaw for Queensland’s Maroochydore/Sunshine Coast Airport (MCY).
SIMPLEFLYING VIDEO OF THE DAY
VH-UJT is due to land mid-morning Monday into MCY as flight AB001 after a series of ferry flights from the US. The MAX 8 flew the final 1,671 miles (2,690 kilometers) from Nadi (NAN) on Monday morning. The final leg followed a flight from Boeing Field (BFI) outside Seattle to Honolulu (HNL) on Friday and a second leg from Honolulu to Nadi on Saturday. Monday’s arrival at MCY also marks the first time a MAX aircraft has landed at that airport.
“We are beyond excited to welcome our first aircraft to Sunshine Coast Airport,” says Bonza’s Tim Jordan. The CEO added that VH-UJT would primarily work as a spare plane, supporting Bonza’s remaining fleet and minimizing disruptions. Bonza is reticent about timelines for its next aircraft arrivals. “More aircraft will follow,” says a statement from the airline.
Bonza is holding onto a late September launch date
Bonza’s first anticipated a mid-year launch date, but that’s been and gone. A few months ago, the airline said September was a more likely start date, so they’ll need to get their skates on aircraft-wise if that’s still to happen. But on Monday, there was a message out of the Bonza camp suggesting a September start date was looking less certain.
“The airline is working towards wheels-up, potentially as soon as late September but noting the regulatory process is one that is highly respected,” says Bonza’s statement. Bonza tells Simple Flying they hope to get their second plane in August and the application for the air operator’s certificate is “progressing well.”
Bonza’s first MAX 8 at Maroochydore/Sunshine Coast Airport on Monday morning. Photo: Heather Mollins/Bonza
Once VH-UJT lands in MCY, it will receive a cabin refit. “It seems only right that we bring home our first aircraft to have its final touches put on by Australians locally,” said Mr Jordan. LOT’s three-class 186-seat 737 MAX 8 configuration is likely too roomy for Bonza’s high seat density, low-cost fare operating model. Bonza will also probably inject a little of its brand color and flavor into the cabin .
Bonza hasn’t named its first plane yet. In a slightly risky strategy for an airline operating MAX 8s, it wants the public to provide naming suggestions on the airline’s social media pages. There have been quite a few examples of such promotions going wildly off-piste in Australia and elsewhere. Knowing Bonza, they’ll probably make a virtue out of the ridiculous, but the potential nicknames for a Boeing 737 MAX 8 at an airline called Bonza might even test the humor of the always smiling Mr Jordan.
