AirBorneo takes flight

[Jonathan Kong 0]

From TTG ASIA

 

KOTA KINABALU – Air­Borneo is scoring a first and also giving the east Malaysian state of Sabah a boost with the launch of special direct charter flights from Kota Kinabalu International Airport to Australia, Japan and China.

 

The state’s inaugural charter flights, operated on a Boeing 777 aircraft with 270 seats in a two-class configuration, will fly to Sydney and Tokyo, from November 15 and 19 respectively.

 

The return from Sydney is on November 21 and on November 23 from Tokyo.

 

The flights will be full service and include inflight entertainment. AirBorneo managing director, Capt E Leong, said the launch flights would be fam trips for a consortium of agents, major tourism suppliers and representatives from government ministries and agencies.

 

“We are also looking at other destinations such as Osaka and Nagoya, Brisbane and Melbourne, Beijing, London, the UAE and Russia by mid-2009.”

 

In December, a return charter to Osaka will be introduced on the 17th, and to Nagoya on the 28th. The inaugural charter to Beijing will start on January 24, 2009.

 

With Kota Kinabalu International Airport as the hub, AirBorneo’s international strategy is to operate to destinations that do not

have direct services to the tate capital.

 

“This will compensate for the hundreds and thousands of tourists that we lose each year due to the lack of connectivity and convenience of flights to Sabah.

 

“We also have a ready market for locals travelling overseas who now have to bear with long transit times,” Capt Leong added.

Kota Kinabalu is now served by Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia, and foreign carriers such as Royal Brunei Airlines, Dragonair, Cebu Pacific, SilkAir, Korean Air and Asiana Airlines.

 

These airlines, which offer a combined 107 flights a week and connect Kota Kinabalu to 15 foreign destinations, make the airport Malaysia’s second busiest, after Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

 

As for the charters, AirBorneo will only sell packages through its consortium of selected inbound and outbound wholesalers in Malaysia and overseas.

 

Advertising and marketing of these packages will be carried out by the consortium, and will be supported and assisted by AirBorneo.

 

At press time, package prices were being finalised.

 

Capt Leong said they would be relatively cheaper compared to packages paired with regular scheduled flights, and they would be on sale soon.

 

AirBorneo, formed in early-2008, aims to become a short- and long-term charter flight specialist, offering point-to-point services connecting Kota Kinabalu to major cities overseas.

 

The parent company, Borneo Bayu Management & Services, is also a majority stakeholder in the International Flying Academy of Sabah, which is the state’s only flight training centre.

 

 

Very interesting... hmm...

[Louis L. 2]

wah , if it is real , then bki got another trippe to spot alrdy

[BC Tam 2]

Truly amazing !

[Radzi 2]

B777.... Hopefully it will park at T1.

[Walter Sim 1]

Wow! Hopefully it will last!

[Ignatius 4]

Blardy #%##@^$#@#$#@!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! <_>

[Isaac 0]

... and i thought today is April Fool when i read the press release. Many of you might say this is certainly going to fail because the demand simply is not there or not big enough to warrant a nonstop long-haul flight but OZ and KE have proven this is so wrong and demand can be created.

 

Anyways, i personally see the 332 as a better fit if anyone would like to start a long-haul route from BKI. 270 seats B777-200ER just seems too premium for a destination like BKI.

 

Edited October 3, 2008 by Isaac

[dsim 0]

how come no much publicity? or have i been under the coconut shell for too long?

[Y. J. Foo 0]

...and any info regarding where the a/c from? MAS??

 

I'll believe this when and only when it really flies...

[Samuel Chy 0]

Y.J., i believe they will leased in/buy another aircraft.

 

Iggy, calm down lar... another reason for you to come BKI.

 

Capt Nik, is this related to your planning?

 

btw, can't wait to spot their first flight.

Edited October 3, 2008 by Samuel Chy

[Yusoff 1]

how come no much publicity? or have i been under the coconut shell for too long?

Same here....!

 

These airlines, which offer a combined 107 flights a week and connect Kota Kinabalu to 15 foreign destinations, make the airport Malaysia’s second busiest, after Kuala Lumpur International Airport.

I'm so jealous.... <_>

[BC Tam 2]

..... AirBorneo managing director, Capt E Leong, .....

 

The parent company, Borneo Bayu Management & Services, is also a majority stakeholder in the International Flying Academy of Sabah, which is the state’s only flight training centre.

Just a long shot guess, Capt E Leong = or somehow related to Dr Ted Mitchel Leong ?

And International Flying Academy of Sabah = Austral Academy (at Sandakan) ?

This will potentially put Sabah Air in the shades then

[Andrew Yong 0]

Wah Our Borneo's members can fly to Australia and Japan with another option and have more attractive place.Congratulation to the newborn airline.

[Seth K 3]

What's the market target? Sabah/Sarawak/Borneo Indonesia and Philippines?

Great news for BKI, the new terminal is a great addition!

[Kenneth T 0]

In my personal view, if the government is not making enough efforts to promote Sabah and Sarawak, the airlines may not be able to survive in the long terms.

[KK Lee 5]

 

As it is not easy to fill 772’s 270 seats, hope they have contracts signed with tour agents. Believe chartered pax don’t mind aircraft type, business risk is lower with A320 or 738.

 

 

[Isaac 0]

Just a long shot guess, Capt E Leong = or somehow related to Dr Ted Mitchel Leong ?

And International Flying Academy of Sabah = Austral Academy (at Sandakan) ?

This will potentially put Sabah Air in the shades then

Now that you mention it ... He (Dr. Ted Mitchel Leong) indeed has a brother and his brother owns the Austral Academy. He really could be the one ... I however, do not remember his English name. His brother used to work at his clinic for a short period of time in year 1999. Then he worked as an immigration officer at KKIA briefly. After that he worked for Air Asia as a station manager or something for 2 or 3 years until Tune Air took over.

 

[Raymond Chung 0]

An website for this airline...why is is not in newspapers???

 

Sorry, i mean have any website??

[reyneo 0]

As for the charters, AirBorneo will only sell packages through its consortium of selected inbound and outbound wholesalers in Malaysia and overseas.

 

Advertising and marketing of these packages will be carried out by the consortium, and will be supported and assisted by AirBorneo.

They are a charter airline and do not operate regular scheduled flights like AK or MAS. You cannot book flights directly with the airline as flights are operated for travel agents. They do not advertise as its these travel agents that book and sell the seats on their behalf. Air Borneo is simply providing the aircraft and crew for these flights. The flights operating costs are born by the agents who sell the tickets (usually with tour packages) and are hence the ones responsible for the profitability of the flights.

[Kenneth T 0]

So during off peak, the aircraft may not be fully utilised. If they are going to lease the aircraft, they still have to pay....where are they going to get the fund from? In the past, Sabah was once served by Australian Airlines which operates few weekly flights to KK but sad to say that the demand is low. I believe the Malaysian Government is not fully committed to promote east Malaysia. Sad to sa that, the infrastructure at Sabah and Sarawak are still far lack behind.

[Kenneth Chong WT 0]

You know, Air Borneo sounds like a good idea??...maybe travel agencies in Sabah can sell extention packages into Sarawak (like an added package thing) and cooperate with Sarawak travel agencies to fly people from Kuching into Korea and Japan...they never think about India is it?? Any market to tap there in India?? Would be nice to have India travellers coming to Sabah and Sarawak hor???

Edited October 4, 2008 by Kenneth Chong WT

[KC Sim 2]

I sure wish AirBorneo had considered operating to Singapore and use it as a catchment for visitors from SIN (4.8m people out of which more than a million are expats) and visitors from other parts of the world connecting here.

 

Does anyone know what AirBorneo's livery looks like and from where would the B777 come?

 

KC Sim

[KK Lee 5]

You know, Air Borneo sounds like a good idea??...maybe travel agencies in Sabah can sell extention packages into Sarawak (like an added package thing) and cooperate with Sarawak travel agencies to fly people from Kuching into Korea and Japan...they never think about India is it?? Any market to tap there in India?? Would be nice to have India travellers coming to Sabah and Sarawak hor???

 

Sabah and Sarawak have more to offer to North Asian and what Japanese, Korean and Chinese want for their holiday i.e. sun, beach, clean and clear water, jungle and wilderness. If market properly, real foreign tourists arrival to Sabah and Sarawak can supersede Peninsular.

 

 

[BC Tam 2]

If the frequencies of flights announced so far is anything to go by, they best be only considering ad-hoc charters only - not likely to have any different livery then

It's like six flights throughout Nov through Dec, so far. Can you imagine leasing in a 777 just for that (buying would be even more costly I assume) ? What will the bird be doing in between runs except sit on the tarmac at BKI incurring parking charges ?

 

I'm sure Captain Nik will be able to furnish some interesting thoughts and RM figures to work on ?

 

Sabah and Sarawak have more to offer to North Asian and what Japanese, Korean and Chinese want for their holiday i.e. sun, beach, clean and clear water, jungle and wilderness

You missed out on a major draw lah - cheap(er) live seafood !

[Waiping 12]

It would be interesting to see who's aircraft they are gonna use.