AIRBORNEO Airways (AirBorneo) acts as an 'air bridge' connecting Sarawak with Peninsular Malaysia and aims to expand its network to ASEAN countries in the near future.
Sarawak Premier, Tan Sri Abang Johari Abang Openg, said AirBorneo's business model is different from other commercial airlines because the state government sees the company as a strategic infrastructure to stimulate economic growth, attract investments and facilitate the movement of people.
"We consider AirBorneo as an 'air bridge' because Sarawak is on an island. We cannot expect people to swim across the South China Sea.
"Just as we have built more than 20 bridges in Sarawak over the past four years, we are now expanding the concept to air bridges," he said.
He said this at a press conference after the inaugural flight of AirBorneo on the Kuching-Kuala Lumpur route today.
Also present was Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof.
Abang Johari said that in an effort to expand its international flight network, AirBorneo is scheduled to commence the Kuching-Singapore flight on July 22, followed by the Jakarta route within two months, before expanding the network to other cities in ASEAN and East Asia.
"We intend to use AirBorneo to connect Sarawak with the region, thus strengthening economic ties and people-to-people ties in ASEAN," he said.
He said that in the first six months, AirBorneo would focus on providing affordable flight services while strengthening the company's basic network after taking over assets from MASwings.
He said that AirBorneo offers a fixed fare of RM375 for the Kuching-Kuala Lumpur route throughout the year, while the fare for the Kuching-Singapore route is set at RM399.
He said the approach is expected to boost the tourism sector by attracting more tourists to Sarawak, as well as supporting the growth of health tourism following the opening of a new hospital in Kuching.
"We will also promote UNESCO World Heritage sites such as Niah Caves and Gunung Mulu National Park, as well as Kuching's status as a UNESCO City of Gastronomy to attract more foreign visitors," he said. – July 20, 2026
