BY NATASHA JEE & KAREN MASING
KUCHING: Sarawak has entered a new era in the aviation industry with the acquisition of MASwings, now known as AirBorneo, making it the state’s own airline.
This follows the formal acquisition of MASwings through the signing of a Sale and Purchase Agreement (SPA) between the Sarawak government and Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) held at a hotel here on Wednesday (Feb 12).
At a press conference, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said, the name AirBorneo was chosen after taking into account the interest of travellers in Sabah.
“AirBorneo will be flying rural air service. Besides that, from time to time we will develop this company to enable it to fly to other destinations,” he said.
Earlier when delivering his keynote address, Abang Johari said AirBorneo is poised to create balance between connectivity, affordable fares and economic benefits.
“Operating as a full- service carrier (FSC), AirBorneo can significantly enhance the passengers’ experience through superior in-flight services. This will emphasise the regional prestige of Sarawak as a premium travel destination,” he said.
He added AirBorneo will further boost connectivity, both domestically and internationally.
“The airline will of course still focus on Rural Air Services and progressively on destinations within a four hour radius, before expanding further in the future, if the travel market warrants it,” he said.
Being a full-service carrier, he said it will be engaging in strategic partnership and code sharing agreements with other international airlines including with Malaysia Airlines, further expanding the network reach and improving global connectivity for Sarawak.
“AirBorneo is envisaged to offer more diverse and specialised job opportunities ranging from customer service to advanced technical roles, which can contribute towards skills enhancement and talent development in Sarawak,” said Abang Johari.
Meanwhile, the SPA was executed by Sarawak State Secretary and AirBorneo chairman Datuk Amar Mohamad Abu Bakar Marzuki representing the Sarawak government, while MAG was represented by its Group Managing director Datuk Captain Izham Ismail.
Abang Johari and Transport Minister Anthony Loke were among those witnessing the signing of the SPA.
