Singapore AirshowMalaysia’s AirBorneo orders eight ATR turboprops
Malaysia’s AirBorneo has placed a firm order for eight ATR turboprop aircraft to support the modernization of the Rural Air Services (RAS) network, a regional aviation system serving remote communities in East Malaysia.”
The agreement, announced on February 3 at the Singapore Airshow, covers five ATR 72-600s and three ATR 42-600s, with purchase rights for four additional aircraft. Deliveries are scheduled to take place between 2027 and 2029.
AirBorneo will take over responsibility for the RAS network following the Sarawak government’s acquisition of MASwings in 2025 and its rebranding as a state-owned carrier. The RAS operation provides essential air links to remote and underserved communities across Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan.
The airline currently operates eight ATR 72-500 aircraft inherited from MASwings. The transition to the –600 series means a significant update, bringing newer avionics, updated flight management systems and improved operational performance compared with the earlier –500 models.
The order introduces a mixed fleet of ATR 42-600 and ATR 72-600 aircraft as both variants share a high degree of commonality in cockpit layout, systems and maintenance, allowing flexibility across the network without increasing operational complexity.
The –600 series aircraft are fitted with updated avionics and certified for operations from short and semi-prepared runways, matching the operational constraints of rural airports in Borneo. The type can also be configured for medical stretcher missions, which are included in the scope of the RAS operation.
In addition to the firm order, the purchase rights included in the agreement give AirBorneo the option to expand its fleet beyond the core RAS mission. Any additional aircraft could be used to support regional routes within the Brunei Darussalam–Indonesia–Malaysia–Philippines East ASEAN Growth Area.
AirBorneo serves 21 destinations from bases in Kota Kinabalu and Miri. Alongside its ATR fleet, the airline also operates six DHC-6-400 Twin Otter aircraft on shorter and more remote routes.
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