Airborneo An Excellent Brand

---

 
A brand new airline, AirBorneo, will soon emerge. I like the name; it’s easy to recall, catchy, and meaningful. It signifies that this airline is not just promoting Sarawak but Borneo as a whole.
Although its main hub will be in Kuching, the name suggests broader representation and promotion of Borneo, the fourth-largest island in the world, comprising Sarawak and Sabah (Malaysia), Kalimantan (Indonesia), and Brunei.
Borneo, along with its surrounding territories—including the southern Philippines and eastern Indonesia—is part of the Brunei-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asia Growth Area (BIMP-EAGA), which has a population of about 65 million, providing a substantial market base for this new airline.
Nusantara, Indonesia’s new capital
Apart from Kuching, several medium-sized cities could be part of AirBorneo’s network, including Pontianak, Banjarmasin, Balikpapan and Samarinda, as well as Indonesia’s new capital, Nusantara, located in Kalimantan.
In southern Philippines, cities like Davao, General Santos, Zamboanga, Puerto Princesa and Cagayan de Oro-Iligan could potentially be linked to Kuching.
Within Borneo, interesting destinations include Sibu, Bintulu, and Miri in Sarawak; Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei; and Kota Kinabalu, Kudat, Sandakan, Lahad Datu and Tawau in Sabah.
Eastern Indonesia also offers key destinations such as Makassar and Manado (Sulawesi), Bali, Lombok, and Raja Ampat—five well-known tourist hotspots that could be directly connected to Kuching.
Hub airport
With Kuching as a new hub, AirBorneo’s flights could provide onward connections to these destinations.
The question remains: from which major cities will new passengers arrive? Sarawak Premier Abang Johari hinted at a flight radius of four to five hours from Kuching, covering several cities in Southeast Asia, Australia, India, and China.
To the south, Perth and Darwin (Australia), Surabaya, Bali and Jakarta (Indonesia) are within reach.
To the north, cities like Manila, Ho Chi Minh City, Phnom Penh, Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Hanoi and Vientiane fit within the five-hour window, along with major cities in China like Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Kunming, Chongqing, and Taipei and Kaohsiung in Taiwan.
Economic boost
Sarawak’s economy will benefit from improved regional connectivity, making it easier for tourists and business travellers to reach the state. Enhanced air links can increase visitor arrivals, boosting the hospitality, retail and tourism sectors.
Additionally, better air transport will facilitate trade by enabling faster movement of goods and improving market access for Sarawak’s industries.
Job creation is another major advantage, as the airline will generate employment opportunities in aviation, tourism and related sectors, including logistics, airport services and maintenance.
This new air hub and network will also provide more direct and shorter travel options, eliminating the need for transit stops in Singapore or Kuala Lumpur.
The immediate challenge is to get the right type of aircraft fleet and prioritise city pairs (e.g., Perth-Kuching-Hong Kong, Bangkok-Kuching-Bali, or Manila-Kuching-Jakarta).
I think it’s going to be an interesting phase for Kuching.
I’m really looking forward to this new airline and hope the fares will be competitive and reasonable. - FMT
The author can be reached at: [email protected]
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.

---