KUCHING (May 21): The full acquisition of MASwings Sdn Bhd by AirBorneo Holdings Sdn Bhd is expected to be finalised by Dec 31 this year, with no changes to the current Rural Air Services (RAS) operations, said Datuk Dr Jerip Susil.

The state Deputy Minister of Transport said that following the execution of the Sales and Purchase Agreement between AirBorneo Holdings and Malaysia Aviation Group in February 2025, the completion of the transaction is subject to the satisfaction of conditions precedent.

“During the period between February 2025 until December 2025, both parties shall work towards fulfilling the conditions, including but not limited to obtaining the necessary regulatory approvals from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), the Malaysian Aviation Commission (Mavcom), the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) and the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

“As well as transferring of operating assets from Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) to AirBorneo Holdings, and carrying out the preparation for the transition of operations from MAG to AirBorneo,” he said during the question-and-answer session at the State Legislative Assembly today.

Dr Jerip was responding to Dato Sri Wong Soon Koh (GPS-Bawang Assan), who raised questions about the acquisition process of MASwings and the effect of the change in ownership on the RAS.

Regarding whether the change in ownership would disrupt RAS operations, he assured that the schedule, frequency and network of the RAS are expected to remain the same, even after the takeover by the state government.

“In terms of operations, the period between the signing of SPA in February 2025 until December 2025 is to allow for a proper and smooth transition of operations from Malaysia Aviation Group to AirBorneo,” he said.

Furthermore, he noted that the entire workforce of MASwings will be retained, leveraging their extensive experience in managing RAS operations to ensure continuity, operational stability, and service reliability throughout and beyond the transition phase. Credit : The Borneo Post