Kuching: DAPSY Sarawak has called on the Sarawak Government to explain whether it was fully prepared before taking over MASwings and launching AirBorneo, following the airline’s announcement of widespread flight schedule adjustments affecting thousands of passengers.
DAPSY Sarawak Deputy Chief Soo Tien Ren said the airline had been fully operational for only about six months, yet it had announced extensive flight changes from 6 July 2026 to 24 October 2026.
“The adjustments involve reduced frequencies for 594 flights and changes to the departure times of another 1,337 flights, affecting approximately 4,000 passengers,” he said in a statement.
He said the prolonged disruptions indicated a deeper operational issue rather than a temporary setback.
Soo stressed that passenger safety must remain the airline’s highest priority, adding that no one expected AirBorneo to compromise on aircraft maintenance to maintain flight schedules. However, he said safety should not be used as a justification for avoiding public accountability.
He noted that the Sarawak Government had promoted AirBorneo as a state-owned airline that would offer more affordable airfares, more reliable flight schedules, and better regional connectivity following the acquisition of MASwings.
“Yet, barely six months into operations, nearly 2,000 flights are being adjusted due to maintenance issues involving ATR72 and Twin Otter aircraft, as well as global spare-parts shortages,” he said.
Soo questioned whether the government had conducted a comprehensive technical assessment of the existing fleet before committing public funds to the acquisition.
He said that if the maintenance challenges and spare parts shortages were already known, adequate contingency measures should have been put in place.
If they were not identified beforehand, he questioned whether sufficient due diligence had been carried out.
He urged AirBorneo and the Sarawak Government to publish the complete list of affected flights, disclose how many aircraft are currently grounded, and explain contingency measures until new aircraft are expected to arrive between 2027 and 2029.
Soo also called on the government to outline how it intends to minimise disruptions for affected passengers and manage the airline’s operational risks over the next three years.
He said that while the government had been quick to celebrate the acquisition of AirBorneo, it must now also take responsibility for the operational challenges, rather than attributing them solely to global supply chain constraints and spare parts shortages.
“The people deserve clear answers on whether the fleet was properly inspected before the takeover, what preparations were made after the issues were identified, and how the government intends to ensure AirBorneo delivers the reliable service it promised,” he said.
