Sarawak State-owned company Hornbill Skyways Sdn Bhd will be taking over MASWings from national carrier Malaysia Aviation Group with both parties signing an MOU to accelerate the acquisition of shares in East Malaysian Airline.
Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said the MoU will pave the way for more detailed discussions between the two parties to ensure the state gets a majority stake in MASWings. “Right now, detailed discussions (will be held) between the Sarawak state government, the federal government and Khazanah Nasional Bhd, in particular. We want a majority stake and MAG is likely to want a stake but the majority should be owned by Sarawak he said.
The state wants the airline to be fully operational and start flying next year. Hornbill Skyways which has operated aviation leasing services in Sarawak since 1977 has been mandated to take over the ownership of MASWings and operate rural aviation services in Sarawak and Sabah. The state government aims to make Kuching the main hub of the airline in addition to expanding the airline’s route to regional destinations that involve about six to seven hours of travel such as Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore, Japan, South Korea, and India.
However, the premier does expect MASWings to be profit-oriented as the main objective is to service the public. It is possible as the airline will not be using a lot of aircraft as long as they keep moving and flying.
