Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Air Aviation Sdn Bhd (SAASB) is confident that the Prime Minister’s tacit approval to Sarawak’s request to set up a boutique airline will see the aviation sectors in both states soar.
Its Group Chief Executive Officer Rodney Linus said SAASB had, in fact, been discussing with Sarawak’s Hornbill Skyways over matters of common interest, especially relating to the aviation industry.
Both parties discussed issues that concern air travelers in both states, including the high cost of airfares.
“On various occasions, SAASB and Hornbill Airways discussed matters that concern our people, including setting up our own airline.
“Hopefully, at some point both parties will be able to collaborate in ways that would serve the best interests of travelers in Sabah and Sarawak. For us at this point, we’re delighted to learn that Sarawak has taken the lead,” he said in a statement.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has agreed, in principle, to Sarawak’s request to establish a boutique airline.
A boutique airline differentiates from the competition through unique customer experience and personalisation.
The boutique airline would be set up as a commercial wing under Hornbill Skyways.
He echoed the statement by Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Openg that the state’s request to set up a boutique airline was to stabilise airfares.
“Like Sarawak, we, in Sabah, have always faced the problem of high airfares as well. So, this is a solution that fits well with us in Borneo,” he said.
SAASB Chairman Kenny Chua said the Sabah Government-linked company has the wealth of experience and technical capabilities to provide a wide range of services to air travelers and corporate clients.
“Although it’s been our dream to establish Sabah’s own airline, we’re also looking at the entire aviation eco-system which we aspire to create in the state that would serve not just our state but Borneo in general. After all, we are all part of the same island and skies,” he said.
SAASB was formerly known as Penerbangan Sabah and is one of the oldest general aviation companies in Malaysia.
He said SAASB has a proven track record in performance with a long list of clients that includes the national oil giant, Petronas.
The company has embarked on the state’s first-ever fully integrated cargo terminal (CTO), which is a step forward toward capitalising the regional aviation market especially in China, Japan and South Korea.
The proposed terminal is a long-term venture between Sabah Air, which comes under the state finance ministry, and Pos Malaysia, the country’s largest logistics and postal company.
The terminal would be a technologically advanced hub to manage general and perishable cargo as well as e-commerce, once fully operational.
The memorandum of intent between SAASB and Pos Malaysia was signed last year which Chua said would boost the state’s economy in line with the Sabah development aspirations spelled out in the Sabah Maju Jaya roadmap.
“The CTO project is in the finals stages. The only problem we still face is with regard to land issue at KKIA Terminal 2 that we need to iron out with the Ministry of Transport,” he said.
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