AirBorneo apologises for disruptions, vows to restore reliability

The Sarawak-owned airline says its flight delays and cancellations were caused by delays in maintenance and technical work.

The Sarawak-owned airline said the disruptions were caused by several aircraft being unavailable simultaneously because of scheduled maintenance, and delays in the delivery schedule of key replacement components.

“Our focus now is on restoring reliable service while ensuring every aircraft in our fleet meets the highest standards of safety and airworthiness,” Bernama reported AirBorneo CEO Megat Ardian Wira Aminuddin as saying today.

Megat said AirBorneo had implemented additional measures to strengthen fleet resilience and support the gradual restoration of normal services.

The airline said affected guests had been contacted regarding rebooking arrangements, refunds and other travel assistance, while meals, accommodation and ground transportation were provided where required.

This comes after AirBorneo issued an advisory on Monday warning passengers of possible delays, cancellations and schedule changes as it continued to manage operational disruptions that began on June 5.

Give AirBorneo time to develop, says Sarawak minister

Sarawak tourism, creative industry and performing arts minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah defended the airline, saying it should be given time to develop instead of being subjected to repeated criticism.

Karim said it was unfair to single out AirBorneo when flight delays and cancellations were affecting multiple airlines across the board, Borneo Post reported.

He was responding to Federation of the Sri Aman and Betong Divisions Chinese Association president Ngu Piew Seng, who  described the Sarawak government’s acquisition of MASwings and its rebranding as AirBorneo as a “completely misguided and mistaken decision”.

Ngu had argued that instead of taking over MASwings, which he said was already burdened by longstanding operational issues and an ageing fleet, the state government should have established a  new airline and gradually built a modern fleet through aircraft purchases or leasing arrangements.

Karim asked: “Does (Ngu) expect AirBorneo to be like Singapore Airlines? We have only just started to build it up, and already people are attacking it left and right. How are we going to build it up if people keep criticising it like this?”

Separately, the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) said it was monitoring AirBorneo’s services, reminding the airline that while safety remained the highest priority, affected consumers must be treated fairly and in accordance with the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016.

CAAM said consumers could submit complaints through the FlySmart website, via email, or by calling 1800-18-6966 within Malaysia or +603-7651 2777 from overseas.