Budget airline Bonza will ground a number of low-demand routes after the industry newbie flew too close to the sun, running into turbulence less than six months after taking off.
Australia's newest carrier announced on Thursday it would cut five routes as it aims to improve frequency and reliability across the rest of its services.
When the Sunshine Coast-based company launched in January, it flew 27 routes to 17 destinations.
But the airline will no longer service Sunshine Coast to Coffs Harbour, Sunshine Coast to Port Macquarie, Sunshine Coast to Tamworth, Cairns to Mackay and Toowoomba to the Whitsunday Coast, chief commercial officer Carly Povey told customers.
"We know that when people fly with us, they have a Bonza experience onboard," she said in a statement.
"But we also know that in the past couple of months, not everyone has had a good experience with Bonza and we need to stare directly into why that is - specifically when we cancel or delay flights."
The company is taking a step back in order to take a leap forward, Ms Povey says, with the changes allowing Bonza to build additional spare capacity within its fleet of four aircraft.
Despite the headwinds it faces, the airline's expansion ambitions remain undiminished.
It still plans to establish a third base and buy additional aircraft, which would allow for more job opportunities and new routes.
Competition watchdog ACCC heralded Bonza's entry to the air travel market as an opportunity for the industry to improve services for consumers and lower airfares.
The airline's launch was a positive development for competition, ACCC chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said in June, while noting Bonza's market share was small, and barriers to growth stood in its way.
The company said customers impacted by the changes would receive a full refund or alternate flights, depending on their scenario.
