Sarawak eyes direct Kuching–Jeju flights as AirBorneo expands regional tourism links

KUCHING, Aug 18 — Sarawak is seeking to establish direct AirBorneo Airways (AirBorneo) connectivity between Kuching and Jeju Island in South Korea as the state moves to expand access to key regional tourism markets.

Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said South Korea was among the markets being considered for AirBorneo, with Jeju Island identified for the proposed direct connection.

“Korea is one of the destinations that we are going to have AirBorneo flying to. We hope to have that connectivity between Kuching and Jeju Island, not Incheon.

“Jeju is recognised as a World Natural Heritage and Global Geopark under Unesco, and Kuching is on the way to being recognised as a Unesco Global Geopark.

“As previously mentioned by the Premier, he wants to establish a direct flight between Jeju Island and Kuching, most probably after Jakarta,” he told a press conference after the opening of the Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) Travel Mart (PTM) here on Tuesday.

Abdul Karim said Jakarta was expected to be the next AirBorneo destination in September, followed by either Bangkok or Jeju Island.

Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Datuk Seri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said South Korea was among the markets being considered for AirBorneo, with Jeju Island identified for the proposed direct connection. — The Borneo Post pic

On Dec 6 last year, Premier Datuk Patinggi Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg expressed interest in establishing direct services to Jeju Island, saying the connection could link Jeju’s geopark with Sarawak’s own geopark.

Describing South Korea as a promising market for Sarawak, Abdul Karim said there was strong interest among Sarawakians in travelling there, while the state also had opportunities to attract more Korean visitors.

“I personally see that Korea is a very, very good market. We are very, very impressed with how Koreans live their lives.

“Whatever things that they touch, they turn it to gold,” he said.

He said Sarawak could also learn from South Korea’s development, particularly its efforts to nurture younger generations and build globally recognised industries in music, technology, automobiles and sports.

Abdul Karim also highlighted the growing interest among Korean families in sending their children to Kuching to study English at international schools, saying this reflected confidence in the city as an education destination.

His remarks on expanding regional air connectivity come as Sarawak continues to face limitations in direct international access.

Also speaking at the press conference, PATA chief executive officer Noor Ahmad Hamid said this was among the challenges faced in bringing international travellers to the state.

“We took a risk when we decided to bring PATA Travel Mart to Sarawak because Sarawak is not a destination that has many direct flights compared with Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok or Singapore,” he said.

Despite this, Noor Ahmad said PTM 2026 attracted more than 1,100 delegates from 48 countries, including over 220 buyers representing about 215 companies from 29 source markets.

He said PATA also saw strong potential in Asean, which remained relatively untapped despite its proximity to Sarawak.

“China and India are certainly big markets, but Asean is also a huge untapped market, and it is right next door to Sarawak,” he said.

PATA Travel Mart is a major Asia-Pacific tourism trade event bringing together buyers, sellers and industry players, with PATA using the platform to support its members and promote destinations across the region.

Also present were Sarawak Tourism Board chief executive officer Sharzede Datu Salleh Askor, PATA chairman Henry Oh and Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts permanent secretary Morshidi Fredrick. — The Borneo Post