Airborneo may submit applications to provide commercial flight services for the Kuching-Sibu, Kuching-Miri and Kuching-Bintulu routes as they are no longer classified as rural air services.
PUTRAJAYA: AirBorneo may submit applications to provide flight services for the Kuching-Sibu, Kuching-Miri and Kuching-Bintulu routes on a commercial basis as the routes are not categorised as Rural Air Services (RAS).
The Transport Ministry said such routes were intercity flights based on a RAS review by the Malaysian Aviation Commission in 2017, because the routes no longer fulfilled the definition of Public Service Obligations (PSO) as they were jointly operated by MASwings with AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines or both.
“Therefore, flights on these routes should not receive subsidies as they involve two cities, similar to any inter-city flight in Peninsular Malaysia.
“The change in status of these routes to commercial routes will further encourage the participation of local airlines to operate and subsequently provide air travellers in rural Sabah and Sarawak with more flight options,” the ministry said in a statement today.
The ministry is seeking to clarify issues raised at the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly regarding the absence of AirBorneo flight services for the Kuching-Sibu, Kuching-Miri and Kuching-Bintulu routes, which were allegedly linked to an agreement signed by the Federal Government in 2019.
The Sarawak state government took over MASWings through AirBorneo, effective Jan 1.
