A new airline which hopes to compete with Qantas and Virgin Australia has launched a website and preliminary information, promising a more “innovative” route as a low-fare carrier in the Australian airline market.
Melbourne-based Koala Airlines hopes to succeed where other low-fare airlines failed in the notoriously difficult-to-crack Australian airline market. Founded in 2018, it acquired charter and air tours company Desert Air Safaris Pty Ltd in 2019, which had been operating for over 50 years in Australia and the wider Pacific Islands region.
This ‘legacy’ of Desert Air will “continue with Koala Airlines”, the company said on its website. “With a rich heritage to build on, our focus is clear: we aim to distinguish ourselves by our new initiatives and innovations that complement rather than compete with established norms,” it added.
According to the website, Koala Airlines is finalising negotiations to acquire its new fleet, which will enable its AOC to be upgraded to the new aircraft type – the Boeing 737 MAX 8.
With the collapse of Bonza in April 2024 and Rex Airlines’ domestic operation with 737 MAX jets failing at the end of July 2024, the Australian airline market is primarily dominated by Virgin Australia and Qantas. Koala Airlines hopes to be an alternative airline for passengers, offering low-cost tickets.
It said it will “fundamentally differ from previous entrants in a domestic market,” although no concrete plans have been outlined yet for how this will be achieved.
Photo: Koala Airlines
