By DayakDaily Team
KUCHING, July 16: About 4,000 passengers may experience changes to their travel schedules as AirBorneo Airways implements a temporary adjustment to flight frequencies on selected routes from July 6 to Oct 24, as part of efforts to improve fleet reliability and strengthen schedule performance.
The airline said the temporary network revision was necessary following technical groundings involving several aircraft from its ATR72 and DHC-6 Twin Otter fleets, caused by unscheduled maintenance requirements and prolonged global supply chain constraints affecting the availability of critical aircraft components and spare parts.
AirBorneo said the situation reflects challenges currently faced by aviation operators worldwide, adding that it continues to work closely with its engineering partners and the relevant Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) to expedite repairs and return the affected aircraft to service.
“Rather than continue with short-notice, ad-hoc cancellations, AirBorneo has opted for a structured and transparent revision to its published schedule.
“This gives passengers on the affected routes a confirmed schedule to plan around, while allowing the airline to better match its available aircraft to demand and free up airframe time for essential maintenance,” the airline said in a statement today.
The temporary adjustment will affect only a limited number of selected routes, with connectivity to all existing AirBorneo destinations maintained. No destinations will be suspended or removed from the airline’s network.
During the period, approximately 594 flights will be adjusted, with affected passengers to be reaccommodated on the next available flight, either on the same day or the following day. A further estimated 1,337 flights will require schedule retiming.
AirBorneo said all affected passengers will be managed in accordance with the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code (MACPC), including options for rebooking, refunds and other applicable passenger support measures.
The airline also confirmed that the temporary exercise will not involve any increase in fares on the affected routes.
“The Ministry of Transport Malaysia and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) has been informed throughout the process, with the temporary schedule revision formally communicated to both regulators,” it added.
The airline stressed that the adjustment is a temporary measure while it continues with its longer-term fleet renewal programme.
Under the renewal plan, AirBorneo will progressively introduce new-generation ATR72-600 and ATR42-600 aircraft between the third quarter of 2027 and the third quarter of 2029.
The new fleet is expected to deliver improved reliability, greater operational resilience and an enhanced travel experience for communities served by the airline.
AirBorneo said the fleet modernisation programme forms part of its commitment to strengthening regional air connectivity and supporting the long-term development needs of the communities it serves. — DayakDaily
