KUCHING, June 15 — Direct Kuching-Bangkok flights have moved a step closer to reality after Thai aviation authorities allocated AirBorneo airport slots for services between the Sarawak capital and Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport during the Winter 2026/2027 scheduling season.

According to a report by Thailand’s The Nation, AirBorneo was among four new airlines allocated airport slots during the 158th International Air Transport Association (IATA) Slot Conference in Bangkok.

The conference, held from June 9-11, coordinated and managed airport slot allocations for the Winter 2026/2027 schedule, with operations set to run from October 25, 2026 to March 27, 2027.

The report said the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) had disclosed the outcome of talks on revised flight schedules, additional flights, and new routes to Thailand, with AirBorneo allocated slots to operate 14 flights per week on the Kuching-Suvarnabhumi-Kuching route.

AirBorneo was listed alongside Saudi Arabia’s Riyadh Air, United Kingdom’s Virgin Atlantic, and Moldova’s SkyUp Nistru, which also received slot allocations for services into Thailand.

The report noted that a total of 87 airlines held discussions with CAAT seeking to operate services for this tourism high season, covering both passenger and cargo flights from several regions around the world.

CAAT also identified Suvarnabhumi, Don Mueang, Phuket, Chiang Mai, Samui, and U-Tapao airports among those experiencing strong travel demand ahead of the upcoming high tourism season.

The allocation marks the latest development in AirBorneo’s plans to establish regional connections from Kuching.

Earlier this year, Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said the airline could expand to regional destinations including Thailand from 2027, subject to operational readiness.

The Borneo Post has contacted AirBorneo on the development and its plans for the proposed Kuching-Bangkok service. — The Borneo Post

KUCHING, June 11 — The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) is closely monitoring recent flight disruptions involving AirBorneo services across Sabah and Sarawak and has reminded the airline of its obligations to consumers under the Malaysian Aviation Consumer Protection Code 2016 (MACPC).

In a statement, CAAM said the flight delays, cancellations and schedule changes were attributed by AirBorneo to operational and maintenance-related issues.

While stressing that safety must remain the highest priority in flight operations, the aviation regulator said affected passengers must continue to be treated fairly and in accordance with consumer protection requirements.

“AirBorneo is reminded to take all reasonable measures to minimise inconvenience to affected consumers and to ensure compliance with its obligations under the MACPC while maintaining the highest standards of operational safety,” said the authority.

CAAM advised passengers affected by the disruptions to check the latest status of their flights before heading to the airport and to contact the airline directly for updated information, available assistance and alternative travel arrangements.

The authority noted that under the MACPC, airlines are required to provide timely, accurate and updated information on flight delays, cancellations or schedule changes, including the reasons for the disruption and the options available to affected passengers.

It added that, depending on the nature and duration of the disruption, consumers may be entitled to care and assistance such as meals, communication facilities, accommodation, transportation, re-routing to their final destination or refunds, subject to the provisions of the code.

CAAM encouraged affected passengers to first seek resolution directly with AirBorneo through the airline’s official customer service channels.

“Airlines are required to address consumer concerns promptly and provide clear guidance on the available remedies and next steps,” it said.

Passengers who are unable to resolve their issues with the airline, or who are dissatisfied with the response received, may lodge complaints with CAAM via its FlySmart platform, online complaint form, email or consumer hotline.

The regulator said it will continue to monitor the situation and assess AirBorneo’s compliance with applicable consumer protection requirements under the MACPC.

“Airlines are expected to ensure that communication, assistance, re-accommodation and refund processes are carried out in a timely, transparent and accountable manner,” it said.

CAAM also reaffirmed its commitment to safeguarding consumer rights while maintaining safety as the highest priority in Malaysia’s civil aviation sector.

In a statement earlier, chief executive officer Megat Ardian Wira Mohd Aminuddin said the flight disruptions were caused by multiple aircraft becoming unavailable at the same time due to scheduled maintenance and technical rectification works.

He assured that the airline has been working around the clock to restore normal operations and minimise further disruptions. — The Borneo Post

KUCHING, June 15 — AirBorneo has clarified that it has not submitted an application for a direct Kuching-Bangkok service and that no such route has been formally confirmed at this stage.

The clarification comes following reports by Thailand’s The Nation that the Sarawak-owned airline had been allocated airport slots for a proposed Kuching-Suvarnabhumi route during the Winter 2026/2027 scheduling season.

In a statement issued to The Borneo Post, AirBorneo said while destinations across the region form part of its longer-term network planning, no application has been submitted for the recently mentioned Bangkok route.

“We appreciate and are thankful for the strong public interest in AirBorneo’s network expansion plans, and we can confirm that destinations across the region are part of our longer-term route planning.

“However, we wish to clarify that no application has been submitted for the recently mentioned Bangkok route at this stage, as nothing has been formally confirmed,” the airline said.

AirBorneo added that any future international service would be subject to the usual regulatory and approval processes before any announcement is made.

“As with any new international service, any future route would need to go through the standard regulatory and approval processes before it can be announced.

“We would caution against treating any specific route, frequency, or schedule as confirmed until that process is complete,” it said.

AirBorneo also stressed that its immediate focus remains on strengthening its existing operations following service disruptions earlier this month.

“Our current priority remains stabilising and strengthening our current intra-Borneo operations following the service disruptions earlier this month, which are now well into recovery.

“We are committed to getting the fundamentals right for our existing routes first,” it said.

The airline added that any confirmed network expansion plans would be announced through its official channels at the appropriate time.

The Nation, one of Bangkok’s English-language dailies, cited the Civil Aviation Authority of Thailand (CAAT) as saying that AirBorneo had been allocated airport slots to operate 14 weekly flights on the Kuching-Suvarnabhumi-Kuching route during the Winter 2026/2027 schedule. — The Borneo Post

SIBU, June 10 — Datuk Betty Wong had to spend more than RM700 on Grab fares and endure a gruelling nearly six-hour journey to attend a training seminar in Sandakan on June 7 after her AirBorneo flight from Tawau to Sandakan was cancelled.

When contacted by The Borneo Post on Monday, the Lions Club past district governor (PDG) said AirBorneo flight MY3062 from Tawau to Sandakan on June 7 was initially rescheduled from 10.15am that day to 12.55pm on June 8.

However, according to Wong, the flight was eventually cancelled, with passengers allegedly being notified less than nine hours before departure.

“We actually had a seminar scheduled for 1pm on June 7 in Sandakan. That was why we took the morning AirBorneo flight from Tawau to Sandakan, which was scheduled to depart at 10.15am.

“Later, we were informed that the June 7 flight had been rescheduled from 10.15am to 12.55pm on June 8. However, we were later told that the rescheduled flight had been cancelled as well,” she said.

According to Wong, the situation compelled them to rely on Grab’s ride sharing services to travel to Sandakan for the seminar.

“So, we had no choice but to take a Grab from Tawau to Lahad Datu, and then another Grab from Lahad Datu to Sandakan, as we were unable to secure a Grab directly from Tawau to Sandakan during the day.

“It took us nearly six hours to reach Sandakan and had to fork out more than RM700 on Grab fares. It was a very exhausting trip. The seminar, originally scheduled to begin at 1pm, was delayed and eventually started at 5pm,” she lamented.

When asked whether she had received a refund from AirBorneo, Wong said she had not.

“Not yet, because I had called the call centre, but no one answered my calls,” she said, adding that the Grab fares ended up costing more than the airfares.

Wong shared that she was travelling with another Lions member from Sibu on a journey that took them from Sibu to Bintulu, Miri, Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu and finally Keningau, for the Lions training.

On a positive note, Wong recalled that her first experience flying with AirBorneo, from Sibu to Miri, was smooth and free of delays.

“There was no delay at that time,” she said, adding that this was only her second time flying with AirBorneo.

In a related development, a netizen claimed that an AirBorneo flight was rescheduled at short notice, with the departure delayed by two full days.

According to a social media post by Sarawak Eye, many passengers who had planned to return home on the final day of the holidays had their travel plans disrupted when the Kota Kinabalu–Lahad Datu flight was suddenly rescheduled.

“Children who were supposed to return to school today, as well as parents who needed to return to work, were also unable to get back as planned.

“According to the notification received by passengers, the flight originally scheduled to depart from Kota Kinabalu for Lahad Datu on June 7 was rescheduled to June 9 due to operational reasons.”

Meanwhile, AirBorneo, in a press release on Monday, apologised to passengers affected by a series of flight delays and cancellations across Sabah and Sarawak since June 5, attributing the disruptions to a combination of technical, maintenance and operational factors.

The airline said some disruptions are expected to continue over the coming days.

“The disruptions have arisen from a combination of factors, including unscheduled technical rectification on several aircraft, scheduled maintenance already in progress, and operational and crew duty requirements.

“In every case, our decisions have been guided by a single priority: the safety of our passengers and crew. Where an aircraft has required technical attention, it has been withdrawn from service as a precaution until our engineers are fully satisfied it is fit to fly,” it stated.

“With several aircraft undergoing maintenance and technical rectification concurrently, our operating fleet remains temporarily constrained. As a result, passengers should anticipate the possibility of further schedule changes, cancellations and delays over the coming days while our aircraft are progressively returned to service,” it added.

AirBorneo advised passengers travelling during this period to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.

The airline said its teams are working around the clock to minimise impact and are reaccommodating affected passengers on the earliest available alternative flights.

“We are committed to restoring our full schedule as quickly as it is safe to do so. We sincerely apologise to all affected passengers for the inconvenience caused,” it said.

“Affected passengers are being contacted directly and may also reach our Customer Care team at +608253 7555 (International) or 1 300 22 1388 (Local) or via airborneo.com/en/contact-us for the latest updates, rebooking and assistance.” — The Borneo Post

KUALA LUMPUR, June 8 — AirBorneo has confirmed ongoing flight disruptions across Sabah and Sarawak, with delays and cancellations expected to continue over the coming days due to concurrent aircraft maintenance and technical rectification works.

In a statement, the airline said the disruptions began on June 5 and have affected a number of its services in the region.

It said the situation was caused by a combination of unscheduled technical rectification on several aircraft, scheduled maintenance already underway, and operational and crew duty requirements.

“In every case, our decisions have been guided by a single priority: the safety of our passengers and crew,” the airline said.

AirBorneo said aircraft requiring technical attention had been withdrawn from service as a precaution until engineers were fully satisfied they were fit to fly.

It added that with several aircraft undergoing maintenance and technical checks at the same time, its operating fleet had been temporarily constrained.

“As a result, passengers should anticipate the possibility of further schedule changes, cancellations and delays over the coming days while our aircraft are progressively returned to service,” it said.

The airline urged passengers to check their flight status before heading to the airport, adding that its teams were working around the clock to minimise disruption and re-accommodate affected travellers on the earliest available flights.

Affected passengers are being contacted directly and may also reach AirBorneo’s Customer Care team at +60-8253 7555 (international) or 1-300-22-1388 (local), or via its website for assistance and updates.

“We thank our passengers for their patience and understanding and remain committed to delivering safe and reliable connectivity across the region,” it said.