Lee was quoted by The Borneo Post as saying that this was part of the agreement when the state acquired MASwings.

“For the time being, we will just take in the existing staff. At the moment, there are over 300 MASwings staff to be absorbed into AirBorneo.

“When AirBorneo expands, we can start recruiting more people,” he told a press conference after visiting the Centre for Technical Excellence Sarawak’s (Centexs) Aerospace Academy in Lundu.

Lee said a meeting between Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) and MASwings staff on the matter would be held later this month.

On Feb 24, Lee said AirBorneo was set to be operational in 12 months’ time and that the state government was fine-tuning the regulatory requirements for the airline’s establishment.

Last December, Sarawak tourism, creative industry and performing arts minister Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah had said the airline would fly to six international destinations – Germany, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong, Thailand and Indonesia.

He said AirBorneo was a completely new player despite the perception that it was a continuation of MASwings and it would drive healthy competition, especially in services and fares.

He also said during its first five years, AirBorneo would strive for balance rather than generate profit, but admitted that it would be a success if the airline could sustain fair pricing without incurring losses.