State Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin (left) and AirBorneo CEO Megat Ardian Wira Mohd Aminuddin (right) looking at the AirBorneo code on the flight display screen at Kuching International Airport on Wednesday (Jan 21). - ZULAZHAR SHEBLEE/The Star
KUCHING: Sarawak-owned AirBorneo will provide online check-in services soon for better passenger convenience, says state Transport Minister Datuk Seri Lee Kim Shin.
He said the airline's systems have been operating smoothly since taking over from MASwings Sdn Bhd at the start of the year, but assures of making improvements down the road.
"At the moment, check-in is still manual. We're going to improve the functionality of the system so that passengers can check in online for ATR flights," he said, referring to the twin-engine turboprop aircraft operated by AirBorneo.
Besides the ATR, AirBorneo also operates the smaller Twin Otter aircraft.
Lee was speaking to reporters after a working visit to Kuching International Airport on Wednesday (Jan 21).
He also said senior citizens aged 60 and above were entitled to a 50% discount on AirBorneo fares for rural air services (RAS) routes within Sarawak and Sabah.
"At the moment, senior citizens have to check in manually or contact the call centre when they check in to get the 50% discount.
"We're going to make it online in the future, so that they can also check in online and get the discount," he said.
Lee said AirBorneo would focus on serving the existing RAS routes first before expanding to regional destinations.
He added that the airline is considering factors such as aircraft availability, market demand and regulatory compliance for regional routes.
"We have not finalised everything. This is all preliminary planning. Certainly, I think we will fly to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore before moving to other regional destinations.
"But for the service to start, we are subject to the type of aircraft, availability and regulatory compliance," he said.
AirBorneo chief executive officer Megat Ardian Wira Mohd Aminuddin, who was also present, said the airline had carried 20,000 to 25,000 passengers in the first two weeks of its operations.
"On a daily basis, it's about 2,000 passengers in total," he said.
AirBorneo launched its inaugural flights on Jan 2 after completing its acquisition of MASwings on New Year's Day.
This followed the signing of a sale and purchase agreement between MASwings' parent company Malaysia Aviation Group and the Sarawak government on Feb 12 last year.
