AirBorneo (MY, Kuching) expects its jet operations to need around 14 to 15 aircraft to achieve sufficient scale for profitability, chief executive Megat Ardian Aminuddin told the New Straits Times newspaper.

"The sweet spot is probably around 14 to 15 aircraft," he said, explaining that fleets of two, five, or seven aircraft would be too small to spread fixed costs effectively. He did not set a target date for profitability, which he said would depend on aircraft availability, demand, fuel prices, and other market conditions.

AirBorneo currently wet leases two B737-800s from Batik Air Malaysia (OD, Kuala Lumpur International). Both jets are based at Kuching and are exclusively deployed on flights from there to Singapore Changi and Kuala Lumpur International.

As previously reported by ch-aviation, AirBorneo plans to grow its jet fleet to 17 aircraft by the end of 2030, with five narrowbodies targeted by the end of 2026. The Malaysian start-up intends to induct its first dry-leased aircraft from 2028.

Megat said that the Sarawak government, which owns the airline, had also allocated funding for the airline's working capital, operating expenditure, and capital expenditure for the next few years under its approved business plan.

In addition to the B737s, AirBorneo operates eight ATR72-500s and six DHC-6-400s, which the carrier inherited from MASwings.