Karim said the fares cannot be viewed in isolation, as AirBorneo must be allowed to stabilise its operations without undercutting other airlines, Dayak Daily reported.

“If we bring down the price right to the minimum until AirBorneo cannot sustain operations, there’s no point. There has to be a balance.

“If we lower the price too much until other airlines leave and no longer want to come to Sarawak because everyone chooses AirBorneo, then the ones who will suffer will be us,” he was quoted as saying.

Karim acknowledged social media complaints that routes like Sibu-Kota Kinabalu and Sibu-Kuching costing more than RM200 were “too expensive”, but said the idea of an “ideal price” was subjective.

“Even when you travel by bus from Kuching to Miri, how much do you pay? For a half-hour flight, of course, you pay a bit more.

“To some, RM200-plus might be okay. To others, it might not. For the tauke-tauke (businessmen), RM250 is peanuts. But for farmers, maybe it feels expensive,” he said.

Urging the public not to jump to conclusions, Karim said prices will adjust once AirBorneo’s operations mature.

“Just wait. Let the system settle, and the aircraft come in. Over time, the prices will stabilise,” he said.

AirBorneo launched its official website on Dec 10, offering flights across Sarawak, Sabah and Labuan, including Kuching, Miri, Sibu, Bintulu, Lawas and Limbang, as well as interior destinations such as Ba’kelalan, Long Lellang, Long Seridan and Bario.

The airline will commence initial operations next month using turboprop aircraft before transitioning into jet services from July next year.