Courtesy visit by Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AirBorneo

 It was a pleasure to receive the courtesy visit by the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AirBorneo, Wan Ardian Mohd Wira Aminuddin who dropped by our office at Bangunan Baitul Makmur II, Petra Jaya Kuching. Also present during the visit was Morshidi Fredrik, the Permanent Secretary to Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak (MTCP) and our media friends who attended the press conference that was held later the same day. 

They had fielded a number of questions including the possibility for AirBorneo which is expected to be appointed as one of the official carriers for the 2027 SEA Games. Potentially it is possible with the state-owned airline targeting the start of its jet operations by September 2027.

The move is in line with Sarawak having secured the hosting 17 of the SEA Games events, including the opening ceremony, which will require higher-capacity aircraft to facilitate the movement of athletes, officials and delegations from the 10 participating Southeast Asian countries. 

I have mentioned to our media friends we have requested for AirBorneo be considered as one of the official airlines for the SEA Games. This is also because most of the events, including the opening ceremony, will be held in Sarawak.

AirBorneo is expected to introduce at least three jet aircraft next year as part of its preparation for the Games, subject to board approval and aircraft availability. Our state airline has considered leasing narrow-body jets capable of operating regional routes, including to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. Among the possibilities of aeroplanes that could be used are the Boeing 737s or Airbus A320s models. They will not replace the ATR aircraft or Twin Otters currently used for Rural Air Services (RAS) within Sarawak 

But we must understand the fleet expansion plans by AirBorneo shall remain subject to market conditions, noting that aircraft availability is currently constrained globally.AirBorneo management is to focus on network planning and fleet requirements before making any acquisition decisions. 

The airlines’ operational systems had been fully transitioned from the Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) following a system cutover on January 14, including flight operations, counter systems and the IATA two-letter code change from MH to MY. We are indeed delighted to have AirBorneo had taken off and currently operates eight ATR aircraft and six Twin Otters from its hubs in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and Miri.