Sarawak's state government is continuing its push for a local scheduled passenger airline and is now saying that their proposed startup, which would be operated and managed by state-owned local charter operator Hornbill Skyways (Kuching), will put people before profit.

"As the boutique airline is owned by Sarawak, we will have our own model to set up the airline without following those such as Malaysia Airlines or AirAsia," Sarawak Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said in a speech on the weekend. "There are people who question why the need to set up an airline. For me, it is one of the infrastructures which we must build. It is just like building roads. You don’t talk about the intangible returns that you will get from road construction because it provides connectivity. So, the same goes for the airline."

The state government is keen to bring more tourists into Sarawak and offer way to get there that bypass a Kuala Lumpur International transit. Local media are reporting that the premier has suggested direct flights on his startup airline to destinations such as Denpasar, Singapore Changi, Hong Kong International, and Bangkok Suvarnabhumi. Hornbill Skyways is the only airline based at Kuching Airport however the ch-aviation PRO airports module reveals the airport is served by nine airlines that between them fly to 19 destinations in five countries including Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei, Hong Kong, and Indonesia. Notably, Hornbill Skyways currently lacks the capacity to fly to the proposed destinations with its fleet of small Beechcraft turboprops and one Bombardier Challenger 605 jet.

Earlier this month, ch-aviation reported that the as-yet-unnamed airline was working its way towards regulatory approval. On the weekend, Abang Johari was sticking with his previously mentioned three-month approval timeline, however, the premier has not yet outlined his plans to acquire aircraft beyond Hornbill's present fleet offering.

'The operation is more or less finalised and we are just waiting for the licence," he said.