Airbus Backs Sarawak’s Aviation Ambition, Sees Potential As Regional Hub

By Kisho Kumari Sucedaram

KUALA LUMPUR, April 14 (Bernama) -- Airbus sees strong potential in Sarawak’s ambition to position itself not just as a domestic hub but also as a regional aviation hub, amid ongoing positive developments surrounding the establishment of AirBorneo.

Airbus Asia-Pacific president Anand Stanley said the aircraft manufacturer is optimistic about Sarawak’s long-term growth potential and expressed strong support towards the efforts, particularly in aviation and related industries.

“What I can say is that Airbus is very excited about the growth potential of Sarawak as a regional aviation hub,” he said in an exclusive interview with Bernama today.

He noted that Sarawak’s strategic push could extend beyond domestic connectivity to encompass broader regional aviation roles.

“Airbus would welcome any emphasis of strategy on growing Sarawak not just as a hub for domestic aviation but also regional aviation, also as a hub for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO), human capital development as well as the rich access to sustainable energy potential,” he pointed out.

Stanley also said Airbus is open to collaborating with Sarawak’s aviation development journey.

“We at Airbus are ready to engage in the development of this strategy, especially on Sarawak as a hub,” he said.

Asked whether there had been any talks on collaboration with AirBorneo, Stanley did not go into details.

AirBorneo, Sarawak’s state-owned full-service airline, commenced its inaugural flight on Jan 2 and has 14 aircraft, including eight ATRs and six Twin Otters.

The airline currently flies to 23 destinations, with five ATRs based in Kota Kinabalu, two ATRs and five Twin Otters operating from Miri, and one ATR and one Twin Otter from Kuching.

-- BERNAMA