AirBorneo must prioritise East Malaysians before eyeing international routes, says activist

Peter John Jaban says Sarawakians and Sabahans are paying high airfares as demand rises.

Peter John Jaban said he welcomed the Sarawak government’s move, led by premier Abang Johari Openg, to establish the airline, but urged it to focus first on easing high domestic fares faced by East Malaysians.

“Because we are geographically dependent on air travel, our people are being penalised by fluctuating, excessive airfares driven by market forces that treat our skies purely as profit centres.

“For a geographically isolated and dispersed population, air transport is not a luxury, it is a critical public utility, just like our roads, bridges, and digital grids,” he said in a statement today.

Peter acknowledged AirBorneo’s longer-term commercial plans to pursue international routes, but said the airline must not lose sight of its founding purpose.

“Before looking across borders, the airline must secure domestic accessibility and social justice in air travel for Sarawakians and Sabahans,” he said.

“Nobody should be priced out of returning home for vital cultural, religious, and family celebrations due to corporate price-gouging.”

AirBorneo began operations on Jan 1 following Sarawak’s acquisition of MASwings from Malaysia Aviation Group.

The airline primarily operates domestic rural air services in Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan, with plans to launch international jet operations next month.

Proposed routes include Singapore, South Korea (including Jeju Island), Japan, Hong Kong, Bangkok and Jakarta.