SARAWAK Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg hinted today that the long-talked-about state airline could be a reality next year.

He told property developers at the opening of the Sarawak Housing and Real Estate Developer Association (Sheda) property expo in Kuching today he “hopes to settle it (the state’s air connectivity problem) by next year”.

He was responding to Sheda president Christopher Ngui, who earlier spoke about the poor response to the Malaysia My Second Home campaign to promote the property market in the state.

Ngui had said the lack of international air connectivity to Sarawak is an important factor in the poor response.

Later, the chief minister confirmed “the model” he is toying with to solve the air connectivity is in setting up the state’s own airline.

“We have to do due diligence first. This is a commercial initiative.

“We have to look at its viability as well as its feasibility. We do not want to go in and then make losses.”

But Abang Johari said the airline’s goal is not to make money.

He said it is viable “as long we can cover the cost”.

The airline, he said, was also the state’s investment in its tourism industry.

The airline could start with three aircraft and they could either be dry or wet leased, he said.

Wet leasing in aviation is an arrangement covering the hire of an aircraft together with a flight crew, insurance and fuel.

In 2015, when Abang Johari was the minister of tourism, he informed the state assembly that the Sarawak and the Sabah governments have expressed their interest to take over MASWings when the national carrier was bleeding money.

Abang Johari then told the assembly that the two Borneo states would have a 50%-50% shareholding if the takeover went through. – September 20, 2019.