Zinc Airlines is being pitched as Australia’s answer to Ryanair, with former Qantas frequent flyer chief Peter Kelly saying the new carrier would chase lower fares and take off from Western Sydney International Airport when it opens this October. Kelly is calling for up to $200 million to fund the airline, which would use a fleet of Airbus A321neos and sell passengers a cheaper base fare while charging extra for seat selection, priority boarding and checked luggage.
Kelly says his plan is to model the airline on the ultra-low-cost carrier Ryanair, a formula built around stripped-back pricing and add-on fees. He hopes Zinc can offer cheaper base fares across the country than Jetstar, tapping into demand from travellers who want a low headline fare and are willing to pay more for extras.
The timing matters because small Australian airlines have had a rough run. Rex Airlines went bust in 2024 after budget carrier Bonza had already collapsed, leaving another potential entrant to face a market long dominated by Qantas and Virgin Australia. Zinc would try to bypass that fight by starting from Western Sydney International Airport rather than the country’s busiest airports, a move that could give it a cleaner launch pad but also leaves it betting heavily on a brand-new airport opening on schedule.
That leaves Kelly with two tests at once: whether investors will back a new budget carrier with $200 million, and whether travellers will buy into another airline promising low fares while still paying for the basics many passengers now expect. If Zinc reaches the runway, it will do so in a market that has already shown how hard it is to survive on price alone.
