By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 9: AirBorneo should consider introducing special fares, student benefits and other privileges for Sarawakians, supported by a secure identity verification mechanism through SarawakPass, said Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) Kuching branch acting secretary and youth chief Nicholas Wung Duk Ying.
Wung said while AirBorneo would serve a wide range of passengers, including domestic and international travellers, business users and regional passengers, the airline should also deliver tangible benefits to Sarawakians as Sarawak’s own airline brand.
He noted that Sarawak’s geographical size made air connectivity an essential service for many residents, particularly for education, employment, healthcare, family reunions and daily mobility.
“Many Sarawakians are studying, working or living outside the State, including in Peninsular Malaysia and overseas. For Sarawakians away from home, especially students, every trip back can be costly,” he said in a statement today.
Wung stressed that AirBorneo should be viewed as more than a commercial aviation venture, as it carried the expectation of improving regional connectivity, reducing travel expenses and serving the needs of the people, especially Sarawakians.
He highlighted that the Sarawak government had already introduced the Sarawak student flight subsidy scheme, i-GPS, which provides RM300 per application, up to two times a year, or a maximum of RM600 annually, for eligible Sarawakian students studying outside the State.
Wung proposed that AirBorneo explore integrating its ticketing platform with SarawakPass and relevant subsidy systems to allow eligible students to receive direct subsidy deductions during ticket purchases, instead of going through a separate application process involving document submissions and reimbursement waiting periods.
“If the subsidy can be deducted directly at the point of booking, it will ease immediate cash-flow pressure for students and allow government assistance to reach recipients faster and more effectively,” he said.
He added that should AirBorneo introduce Sarawakian resident fares, student fares, membership privileges or other special benefits, a reliable verification system would be crucial to ensure fairness and prevent abuse.
According to Wung, SarawakPass could serve as a digital verification tool to confirm eligibility, prevent misuse, impersonation and repeated claims, while providing a smoother booking experience for qualified users.
He stressed that SarawakPass should not be regarded as an exclusive platform only for Sarawakians, but rather as a digital solution that supports an open ticketing system while enabling targeted benefits for eligible groups.
“The value of digitalisation is not in form, but in solving real problems faced by the people.
“If AirBorneo can integrate SarawakPass to improve Sarawakian identity verification, student subsidies, benefit delivery and booking experience, it will strengthen public confidence in Sarawak’s own airline brand,” he said.
Wung hoped the relevant authorities would study the feasibility of introducing special benefits for Sarawakians, direct student subsidy deductions and SarawakPass-based verification as part of AirBorneo’s online platform and future fare policies.
He also commended the Sarawak government and the AirBorneo team for transforming the vision of a Sarawak-owned airline into reality, expressing confidence that the carrier would grow into a trusted airline and a symbol of Sarawak’s progress and aspirations. — DayakDaily
