Crew members from discount airline Bonza have been taken to hospital after encountering “unexpected turbulence” on a Queensland flight.

The flight left Rockhampton at 3.35pm on Tuesday, bound for the Sunshine coast, when the midair incident unfolded.

Chief executive Tim Jordan said some of the staff were taken to hospital after the aircraft landed safely at Sunshine Coast Airport.

“Last night, a flight from Rockhampton to the Sunshine Coast experienced unexpected and severe turbulence leading some Bonza crew members needing to be assessed at Sunshine Coast University Hospital,” Jordan said.

“All crew were cleared to return home last night and no customers have presented with injuries.

“Our priority is always the safety of our staff and customers and we will be supporting our in flight legends as they need.”

The extent of the injuries, and how many of the crew were hurt, is not known.

A scheduled flight between the Sunshine Coast and Mildura was cancelled while the aircraft was “being assessed”. Its passengers were reportedly offered full refunds.

The midair scare came as Bonza continued to expand its domestic services across Australia.

On Tuesday, the budget airline flew its first flight into Tasmania, landing at Launceston from the Gold Coast.

“We know there’s strong demand for locals on the Gold Coast, northern NSW and South Brisbane to fly direct to Launceston. In fact, the route is proving one of our most popular from the Gold Coast so far,” Jordan said.

Bonza will have three flights a week on the route.

It joins Rockhampton-Gold Coast as a new Bonza route this week.

“Rocky and Goldie residents can now ditch the long drive along the Bruce Highway with a faster, more comfortable and low-cost option,” Jordan said.

“This new direct direct route is a win for both travellers and local tourism operators .We are grateful for the Rockhampton community’s ongoing support.”

Bonza said on Monday its route map included three bases and 38 routes to 21 destinations “with a focus on the unserved and underserved markets”.

This week’s additions come after the Gold Coast was unveiled as one of Bonza’s three bases last week. The budget airline flies to Albury, Avalon, Bundaberg, Cairns, Darwin, Gladstone, Launceston, Mackay, Melbourne, Mount Isa, Mildura, Rockhampton and the Whitsunday Coast from the southern Queensland airport.