BETONG: The Sarawak government has plans to set up its own boutique airline under Hornbill Skyways to tap the tourism market even more.
Chief Minister Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said it would lease aircraft and transport passengers and cargo from Kuala Lumpur, Singapore, Jakarta, Bangkok, and Hong Kong to Sarawak.
However, he said this could only be realised if Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) were given the mandate in the coming state polls.
“We have a plan, we see that Hornbill Skyways owned by the state government has long been in operation and with the economy that we have in Sarawak today, it is time that Hornbill Skyways has a subsidiary which we will call a boutique airline.
“This means that Hornbill Skyway will not only provide its charter service but there will be another wing meant for commercial use,” he told reporters after officiating at the launch of the ground-breaking ceremony for the Bebuling STOLport in Spaoh here.
Abang Johari said the state had studied the matter with aviation experts and that the operational cost of the boutique airline would be cheap.
“This will be under Hornbill Skyways because we have the licence to carry this out but we could not do it before due to certain constraints.
“But now with our tourism recovery, we want to have market access,” he said.
Later, in a separate press conference, he added the boutique airline’s aircraft would cater to about 100 to 120 passengers.
“Thus, tourists can have another choice besides the flights provided by other airline companies,” he said.
The chief minister added that the boutique airline would provide convenience for travellers without them having to transit in other locations and would arrive in Sarawak direct from their departure point.
“For instance, tourists from Hong Kong, when they want to come to Sarawak, they need to transit through Kuala Lumpur and fill in two forms in Kuala Lumpur and Sarawak which is too troublesome,” he said.
To a question on whether the aircraft would be capable of meeting the demand of travellers, Abang Johari said the state would build on the demand.
“If there are many tourists, we can lease more aircraft and we don’t have to buy the aircraft because it is expensive,” he said.
Earlier, when making the surprise announcement on the plans for the boutique airline in his speech, the chief minister said these plans are not omong-omong kosong (empty promises) and that he had already calculated the cost of the operation.
