Sarawak-owned airline AirBorneo launched its official website on 11 December, allowing the public to book domestic flights. However, the average ticket prices, ranging between RM200 to RM500 (one-way), quickly raised concerns among Malaysians.
In response, the state Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah urged the public to be patient and give the airline time to adjust its fares. “The aircraft haven’t even started flying, and people are already complaining. Give it a chance,” he said.
According to the minister, various factors were taken into account when setting AirBorneo’s fares, including sustainability and competitiveness. He emphasised the need for a balanced pricing structure, noting that it would make little sense to reduce fares to a level where the airline could not sustain its operations. Currently, flight routes are limited within Sarawak and Sabah.
As a refresher, AirBorneo was unveiled after the acquisition of MASwings by the Sarawak state government. It is expected to begin operations next year and, to be exact, according to its official website, it will begin flying from 14 January 2026.
Before then, all existing MASwings tickets and bookings remain valid, with no changes to flight times and dates. It also said that customers purchasing tickets for flights on or before 13 January 2026 should do so on the MASwings website. In addition to that, passengers with existing MASwings tickets for travel on or after 14 January 2026 will receive individual communications regarding the reissuance of their tickets under AirBorneo.
As of now, the airline will be operating propeller aircraft, with jet operations only set to begin in July 2026, hence the short-distance routes. They are planning to expand their domestic routes to East Malaysia once the jet operations begin.
(Source: AirBorneo Official Website, The Star)