AirBorneo to be a game changer for Sarawak tourism and beyond

Sarawak (Malaysia) made history earlier this year. On February 12, 2025, the Sarawak State government -one of the three Malaysian States present on the island of Borneo- acquired regional carrier MASwings. With a vision to reshape air connectivity in the region.

MASwings, a subsidiary of Malaysia Airlines, mainly focused on rural air services on the Malaysian part of Borneo island, a vital link for rural and remote communities in Sarawak and Sabah. While essential for communities, the airline never achieved a profit due to high operational costs and low passenger volumes.

Following the take-over, Sarawak decided to rebrand the airline to AirBorneo. While preserving rural services, the state government took a bold step to create for the entire island a carrier truly dedicated to regional connectivity. So far, Borneo, divided between the Sultanate of Brunei, Indonesia and Malaysia, has only one home-grown international carrier: Royal Brunei Airlines.

RBA serves 21 destinations around the world, including overseas flights to Melbourne and London via Dubai. But surprisingly, it fails to connect regional cities to the rest of the world. Brunei national carrier serves only Kota Kinabalu (9 x weekly) and Kuching (4 x weekly) in Malaysian Borneo and Balikpapan in Indonesian Borneo (2 x weekly). They are no flights to the neighboring islands of Palawan (Philippines) or Sulawesi (also known as the Celebes, Indonesia).

With AirBorneo, Sawarak state government has the ambition to fill the gap by promoting its capital, Kuching as Borneo main air gateway. This ambitious plan would turn Sarawak as a key aviation hub in Southeast Asia, capitalizing on its strategic location and growing tourism industry.

Building up Kuching air connectivity

Meanwhile, Sarawak state government gave details about the future fleet and network as well as a potential launch of AirBorneo. It looks at acquiring brand new ATR72 as well as jet aircraft. In an interview in March, Sarawak Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shim explained to look into the possibility of leasing the aircraft once all the necessary approvals and licenses are secured.

The state also identified six priority destinations. They are South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Bangkok (Thailand), Jakarta (Indonesia) and Frankfurt (Germany). All these markets are top contributors to total arrivals.

Flights to Bangkok would be more for an overseas strategy rather than for capturing the local market. The Thai capital is effectively linked to 16 destinations in Western Europe. The latter generates some of Sarawak top incoming markets.

Meanwhile, local authorities should strongly look at developing regional connections to finally bring connectivity in and around Borneo island. For Indonesia, this could be Balikpapan, Banjarmasin, Nusantara and Pontianak in Kalimantan (Borneo) and Makassar/Manado in Sulawesi. In the Philippines, Cebu in the Visayas, Davao in the Mindanao and Puerto Princesa in Palawan are prime destinations. It then would fully justify the AirBorneo brand.

With competitive fares and superior service, AirBorneo is likely to be a winner for Sarawak tourism and beyond. It will also be able to make a difference with existing carriers, including low-cost airlines with their strong branding.

AirBorneo first flights are planned by the end of March 2026. And it will reshape the future of aviation in the region…