AirBorneo: The New Airline Linking the Villages of Malaysian Borneo

An airline with a public service mission

Unlike most commercial carriers, AirBorneo was created with an explicit regional connectivity mandate wanted by the state government, rather than with the primary goal of generating profit on individual routes.

A fleet designed for short runways

The current fleet numbers fourteen turboprop aircraft: eight ATR 72-500s for the higher-capacity routes and six Viking Air DHC-6 Twin Otters, able to operate on very short, unpaved runways, essential for connecting the most isolated communities of Borneo.

Routes: a network of very short hops

The network consists mainly of very short domestic links between small airports in Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan, with limited daily frequencies on many routes precisely because of the low demand on individual links.

Plans to expand toward jets

The Sarawak government has already begun evaluating new-generation jet aircraft for future links to Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and South Korea, with an initial order for eight new ATR72-600s and ATR42-600s due for delivery between 2027 and 2029 to renew the existing turboprop fleet.

AirBorneo is the right choice for those who need to reach remote communities in Malaysian Borneo not connected by roads passable in a reasonable time. It is not meant for those looking for the comfort or speed of a jet aircraft, absent from the current fleet and planned only for future years. Practical tip: on routes operated with the Twin Otter, capacity is very limited and frequencies are often daily or even weekly, so it is best to book well in advance if the trip has a fixed arrival or departure date.