“The airplane became the first World Wide Web, bringing people, languages, ideas, and values together.”
– Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft
FOR more than half a century, Sarawak and Sabah have flown on the wings of others. We relied on the national carrier, Malaysia Airlines, the ever-ambitious AirAsia, side players like Firefly, Batik Air Malaysia, and previously, MASwings, the small but vital operator that kept interior communities connected.
To all these airlines, we owe a debt of gratitude. They carried us, linked us to the wider world, and enabled mobility across a vast and challenging geography. Without them, East Malaysia’s social and economic development would have been a different story altogether.
Yet the truth has to be told; Malaysia’s aviation journey has never been smooth cruising. It is a story defined by resilience, yes, but also by recurring turbulence, political interference, structural inefficiencies, and misalignment between commercial realities and national expectations. Each airline, in its own way, has flown through storms of its own making.
Malaysia Airlines, for instance, has had the heaviest payload of problems. Its struggles were almost predictable: an oversized structure, too many unprofitable routes sustained under the banner of “national service”, sudden shifts in top leadership whenever governments changed, and the emotional devastation of the MH370 and MH17 tragedies.
Billions were injected, business models re-drawn, CEOs rotated like musical chairs. Yet despite everything, MAS remains a symbol, a survivor, a carrier woven into our national identity even as it flies under the weight of perpetual reinvention.
AirAsia, in contrast, soared because it dared to do the opposite. Lean, loud, and unapologetically efficient. It democratised flying for millions, and suddenly everyone can fly! It made Malaysia a global pioneer in low-cost aviation. But even the bold red giant was not invincible.
The pandemic pushed it to the brink, its digital pivot was bumpy, and rapid expansion exposed vulnerabilities. Still, its entrepreneurial DNA kept it airborne while many others worldwide collapsed.
Then came the smaller carriers, Firefly adjusting its identity every few years, MASwings dutifully serving rural Sarawak and Sabah without ever being given the room to grow sustainably, and Malindo/Batik Air Malaysia, which could never quite decide whether it was full-service, hybrid, regional, or simply trying to survive in a crowded market.
Collectively, these airlines paint a picture of an industry long stretched between national ambition and commercial constraint.
But out of these lessons and frustrations emerges the case for AirBorneo, Sarawak’s bold new bid to take control of its own skies. And the timing could not be more fitting.
For decades, air travel in Sarawak and Sabah has been shaped by decisions made thousands of kilometres away. Routes were rationalised from Kuala Lumpur. Frequencies were cut without understanding local realities.
Fares on inter-Borneo routes fluctuated wildly. Travellers from Miri to Kota Kinabalu sometimes paid more than passengers flying from Kuala Lumpur to Bali. And rural communities were once again passengers to someone else’s priorities.
That is why the Sarawak Government, under the visionary leadership of Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg, finally said: enough!
Sarawak does not seek to compete with or cannibalise existing airlines. Instead, it seeks to complement them, to fill gaps long ignored, to bring sanity back to connectivity in Borneo, and to ensure that aviation in East Malaysia reflects the needs of Sarawakians and Sabahans.
AirBorneo is not an ego project. It is a necessity born out of structural neglect.
This new airline arrives with one crucial advantage: clarity of mission. It does not need to be everything to everyone. It does not need to chase prestige or far-flung destinations. It simply needs to do what others have failed to do; serve Borneo with reliability, fairness, and respect.
The core market is already clear. AirBorneo can dominate the sectors that matter most: Kuching-Kota Kinabalu, Miri-Kuching, Sibu-Bintulu, Labuan-Miri, and eventually routes linking northern Kalimantan and even interior hubs where flying is not a luxury but a lifeline.
For too many rural communities, the road is long, the river unpredictable, and the sky is the only option. A well-run regional airline can transform tourism, empower local trade, support industries, and bring long-delayed development to remote districts.
But AirBorneo’s potential goes beyond connectivity. Its arrival may introduce a ripple effect across Malaysia’s aviation sector. More carriers mean more competition. Not to destroy existing airlines, but to push them to up their game.
If AirBorneo maintains on-time performance, transparent pricing, and consistent service, the wider industry will be compelled to respond. Passengers across Malaysia may finally experience fewer delays, fewer last-minute cancellations, and a more customer-centred flying culture.
And let us be clear: AirBorneo is not here to steal passengers from MAS or AirAsia. Quite the opposite. It can ease their burden on saturated routes, free up their capacities, and complement their operations. Flying side by side is not rivalry; it is partnership for the benefit of the rakyat. The aviation sky is vast enough for all who fly with discipline and purpose.
Still, AirBorneo must tread carefully. The aviation world is merciless. Fuel prices fluctuate, aircraft leases are costly, maintenance is unforgiving, and pilot shortages plague even the richest airlines. A single misstep, like over-expansion, mismatched aircraft, poor scheduling, or bureaucratic micromanagement, can ground a young airline before it finds its wings.
That is why the Premier has repeatedly stressed that this airline must be professionally managed, commercially disciplined, and insulated from political interference.
If AirBorneo is to succeed, it must be guided by three principles.
First, an unwavering focus on Borneo’s needs, not Putrajaya’s convenience or political cycles. Second, financial discipline which means no bloated structures, no vanity routes, no wasteful indulgence. And third, service excellence rooted in the warmth, courtesy, and hospitality that Sarawakians are known for. For that we need to hire the best people around!
Sarawakians and Sabahans want AirBorneo to succeed. They want an airline that understands their frustrations, their geography, and their aspirations. They want reliability, fair fares, and dignity in service; not the feeling of being an afterthought in Malaysia’s aviation planning.
Ultimately, AirBorneo represents something bigger than a business venture. It symbolises Sarawak’s quiet but firm determination to take charge of its destiny in energy, in economy, in education, and now, in aviation. For the first time, Borneo is not merely being flown over; it is taking the controls.
If AirBorneo stays true to its mission, avoids the mistakes of its predecessors, and keeps its compass fixed on the needs of its people, it may very well become the game changer Malaysian aviation has long needed.
A new chapter is taking off. And this time, Sarawak is not just a passenger. It is the pilot.
The views expressed here are those of the columnist and do not necessarily represent the views of Sarawak Tribune. The writer can be reached at rajlira@gmail.com
