Bonza budget airline cancels flights across the country as it ...

Embattled regional airline Bonza has cancelled flights across the country today, stranding potentially thousands of passengers, as it considers its future.

Early Bonza flights in and out of its base on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, along with Melbourne legs to Rockhampton, Gladstone and Tamworth were all cancelled this morning.

Bonza CEO Tim Jordan released a statement just after 8am saying all services would be "temporarily suspended".

He said discussions were being had about the ongoing viability of the business.

Mr Jordan apologised to customers, saying Bonza was trying to find a way to keep flying.

Bonza's financial position has been the subject of intense speculation since its first flight early last year.

Rona Wall arrived at the Sunshine Coast airport around 5:30am today hoping to catch a flight to Rockhampton, after her scheduled Bonza flight from the Gold Coast to the beef capital was cancelled yesterday.

Carol (surname withheld) and Rona Wall were left stranded at the Sunshine Coast airport.(Supplied: Tim Wong-See)

"I had to catch a shuttle bus from Gold Coast Airport at 2:30 this morning because our flight was cancelled yesterday," she said.

She said she received multiple correspondence from Bonza about a rescheduled flight, which created a lot of confusion.

"I've got a text message that was in my younger daughter's name, and an email, and also [a message] on the app," Ms Wall said.

"All three notifications were for three different flights."

Ms Wall said she had now booked a Qantas flight in the hope she could get home to Blackwater by this afternoon.

"As the old saying goes, once bitten, twice shy. I will never be flying with Bonza again," she said.

A Sunshine Coast man, whose wife works for the airline, told the ABC about 20 cabin crew were called into a meeting early this morning.

"She went to work this morning, as per usual, they just went in — there were two crews there — they were just basically told that Bonza has finished," he said.

"They've been told that they're not flying until further notice.

"They've all been told that the bottom line is that Bonza will no longer be flying."

He said the news was a blow for the Sunshine Coast region.

"They're pretty devastated. It's their job. She's been in it from day one. It's a bit of a blow for Maroochydore and the Sunshine Coast," he said.

Aviation analyst Geoffrey Thomas, the editor-in-chief of the website Airline Ratings, said the news was a blow for regional travel and under-served regional communities.

"It's very sad, because Bonza was certainly shaking things up, connecting places that weren't connected, and offering really fantastic fares," he said.

Geoffrey Thomas says it is shattering news, particularly for people who have tickets for Bonza flights.(Supplied: Geoffrey Thomas)

"It's shattering news, particularly for those affected who hold tickets and were going to fly today or tomorrow."

Mr Thomas said there were suspected problems with the company's aircraft leasing arrangements, and its financial backers.

But he said the low profit margin model was always tough in regional Australia, given long distances and relatively low passenger numbers.

"At the end of the day if the planes aren't full, if they are not getting the yields they need … you've got a balancing act," he said.

"If you need 85 per cent capacity and you only get 70 per cent … then you're burning money and you burn money very quickly with an airline, it can be very savage.

"You need the backing of your financiers to stand by you as you refine that business model and tweak it."