By Amanda L
KUCHING, July 8: Ahead of the launch of its jet operations on July 20, AirBorneo is stepping up efforts to improve the reliability of its Rural Air Services (RAS), with plans to speed up aircraft maintenance, rationalise selected routes and progressively replace its ageing fleet following recent flight disruptions.
AirBorneo chief executive officer Megat Ardian Wira Mohd Aminuddin acknowledged that the airline has faced operational challenges since taking over the RAS network from MASWings on Jan 1, saying measures are being introduced to minimise delays and cancellations while strengthening the service.
“We acknowledge there have been disruptions, and we are progressively working on them,” he told reporters during a question-and-answer session after AirBorneo’s media roundtable here today.
One of the airline’s immediate priorities is improving maintenance efficiency by reducing the time aircraft spend on the ground awaiting repairs.
Megat said AirBorneo is working closely with maintenance providers to speed up the delivery of spare parts, deploy technical personnel more quickly and shorten aircraft turnaround times.
The airline is also widening its pool of spare parts suppliers to reduce reliance on individual vendors amid a global shortage of aircraft components.
“It’s about the speed of fixing things and getting the aircraft back into the schedule rotation,” he said.
Besides maintenance improvements, AirBorneo plans to rationalise parts of its RAS network by reducing flight frequencies on selected low-demand routes while maintaining connectivity to all destinations.
Megat stressed that no destinations would be dropped. Instead, flights with consistently low passenger loads would be consolidated, freeing up aircraft for scheduled maintenance and improving overall operational reliability.
“For example, if a route currently operates 14 times a week, we may merge some flights and reduce it to seven weekly services if demand is low,” he explained.
He said details of the revised RAS schedule are expected to be announced after discussions with the Ministry of Transport Malaysia are finalised.
As part of its long-term strategy, AirBorneo has ordered eight new ATR 72-600 aircraft to replace its ageing ATR 72-500 fleet on a one-for-one basis.
The aircraft will be delivered progressively, with two arriving in 2027, four in 2028 and the remaining two in 2029.
The fleet renewal comes as AirBorneo prepares to launch its scheduled jet operations on July 20, with inaugural services between Kuching and Kuala Lumpur using Boeing 737-800 aircraft. The launch marks the airline’s first expansion beyond its Rural Air Services network and is expected to strengthen connectivity between Sarawak, Peninsular Malaysia and regional destinations.
According to Megat, the fleet renewal programme is expected to improve operational reliability across the RAS network, which currently serves 21 airports in Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan using eight ATR 72-500 aircraft and six Twin Otters.
The airline currently carries between 60,000 and 70,000 RAS passengers each month, with Mulu remaining one of its busiest tourism destinations.
Looking ahead, AirBorneo also plans to integrate its RAS and jet operations through a hub-and-spoke model, enabling passengers to connect more seamlessly between rural destinations and international services.
“For example, a passenger arriving from Singapore can connect through Kuching to destinations such as Mulu,” Megat said.
On funding, he said the federal government will continue providing the RM209 million annual RAS subsidy, while a new agreement on the rationalised network is expected to be finalised by the end of the year. — DayakDaily
