KUCHING: AirBorneo Airways (AirBorneo) has been carrying between 60,000 and 70,000 passengers each month on its Rural Air Services (RAS) network since taking over operations earlier this year, with the airline targeting approximately 850,000 passengers annually.
Chief executive officer Megat Ardian Wira Mohd Aminuddin said the figures reflect the continued importance of Rural Air Services in connecting communities across Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan.
“Roughly, we carry about 60,000 passengers on RAS every month. It’s between 60,000 and 70,000 a month from January onwards,” he said during the Q&A session at the AirBorneo’s media roundtable here on Wednesday.
Megat Ardian said while some routes are popular with tourists, RAS primarily exist to fulfil a public service obligation by providing essential connectivity to remote communities.
He noted that the Mulu route remains among the airline’s strongest-performing tourism sectors, while several other routes continue to record healthy passenger demand.
“Because RAS is a social obligation, it’s not just about tourism. It’s about connecting cities to the interior and providing transport for local communities. Those essential services remain our priority,” he said.
AirBorneo currently operates Rural Air Services using a fleet of 14 turboprop aircraft, comprising eight ATR 72-500s and six Twin Otters, serving 31 sectors within Sarawak, six sectors within Sabah and four interstate routes.
The airline is working to improve service reliability through operational enhancements and fleet renewal while integrating the RAS network with its future commercial jet operations.
