KUCHING (July 8): AirBorneo Airways (AirBorneo) expects to launch its Kuching-Singapore service by the end of this month after completing the final operational requirements, with more domestic and regional routes to be introduced as its fleet expands over the next five years.

Its chief executive officer Megat Ardian Aminuddin said the airline has already secured traffic rights from Singapore and is now finalising operational testing with Changi Airport.

“With Singapore, we already have the approval. We already have the air traffic rights from Singapore. We’re just finalising the last few stages with Changi Airport, which is the operational testing.

“Once that is done, then we have a firm date of when we want to launch. It will be soon after the Kuala Lumpur launch and, if everything goes well, by the end of July,” he told a media roundtable here today.

He added that ticket sales for the Singapore route are expected to open within the next few weeks, ahead of the inaugural service.

AirBorneo is scheduled to commence twice-daily flights between Kuching and Kuala Lumpur on July 20, while the Singapore service will initially operate once daily.

Beyond the initial routes, Megat Ardian said AirBorneo would steadily expand both its fleet and network, beginning with two wet-leased Boeing 737-800 aircraft this year before growing to five aircraft by the end of 2027 and 17 aircraft by 2030.

He said the measured expansion would allow the airline to stabilise operations, gather customer feedback, study travel demand and assess market response before accelerating its growth.

“We stabilise our operations, gather customer feedback, see how the competition responds and also how the market responds. This is where we get a lot of data, see what the pattern is and perfect our services and reliability,” he said.

As additional aircraft enter service, AirBorneo plans to increase flight frequencies on its existing routes while progressively introducing new destinations.

Megat Ardian said flights between Kuching and Kuala Lumpur are expected to increase from the initial twice-daily service to three and eventually four daily flights, while the Singapore route could grow from one daily service to two and later three daily flights, subject to demand.

He added that the airline is also looking at launching intra-Sarawak services linking Kuching with cities such as Miri, Bintulu and Sibu, as well as routes connecting Sarawak and Sabah.

Beyond domestic operations, AirBorneo is planning to expand to regional destinations within a three- to five-hour flying radius from Sarawak.

However, Megat Ardian declined to identify the destinations under consideration, saying route announcements could only be made after obtaining approvals from both Malaysian and foreign aviation authorities.

“We can’t share the network plans just yet because this is a very regulated industry.

“Not only do we have to get approvals from our local regulators, but also foreign regulators. Only after that can we talk about flying to a destination,” he said.

Megat Ardian said AirBorneo’s long-term fleet strategy also includes transitioning from wet-leased aircraft to dry-leased aircraft from 2028 onwards, a move expected to lower operating costs as the airline expands.

He said the airline hopes its expanding network will eventually strengthen Sarawak’s connectivity with key regional markets while supporting tourism, business and investment into the state.

Credits: Marilyn Ten, The Borneo Post 2026