AsianAviationGossip: Royal Brunei Airlines -- Black Gold Airlines of ASEAN

Profile of Royal Brunei

Royal Brunei Airlines, is the national carrier of negara [country] Brunei Darussalaman. It's hub located in Brunei International Airport in Bandar [town] Seri Begawan. The airlines operates three types of Aircraft, in which are 6 Boeing 777 - 200 ERs (leased and seat configuration from SQ), 2 of each Airbus A320 - 200 and Airbus 319 - 100. IATA code for this airlines BI. BI is currently 4 - star airlines awarded by skytrax.

Current Routes

The airlines operated to several destinations in ASEAN such as Bangkok, KL, Singapore, Kota Kinabalu, Manila, Ho Chi Minh, Surabaya and Jakarta. While in Asia and Ocean, BI operates to Hong Kong, Shanghai Pudong, Perth, Melbourne, Brisbane and Auckland. other routes in Middle East in Dubai and Jeddah. London is the only destination offer by BI.

Potential of BI

Since the location of Brunei located between the North Asian and Ocean, the Brunei has potential to attract more passenger especially from Australia and New Zealand traveller to North Asian. In some reviews and reports stated that Royal Brunei Airlines has the "lowest fare of premium airlines" that offer for Kangaroo routes. BI should used this "lowest fare" to attract more passengers from Asean too.

Suggestions

Brunei is the one of the richest in the world due to petroleum. the country should transform it, becoming Commercial City, such as Dubai in UAE . Brunei for me has potential to attract business and Industrial due to location nearer to China and Vietnam. The airlines and BWN airport will receives impact from this transformation of Brunei. BWN has potentially to become hub between ASEAN and OCEAN to North Asia.

To become one of largest and Premium airlines, the first step BI should taken is to strengthen its regional routes. But it should it right of fit aircraft. Royal Brunei should buy more single aisle aircraft with seating below 150 or 100 - seats such as Airbus 319 ( I think is the right choice.. if the lower cost in maintenance), or Bombardier - Jet or Embraer E - Jet is the right fit aircraft. The next step is expand new routes in regional, North Asia, Australia, and Europe. Potential routes

Darwin -If i'm not mistaken, Royal Brunei Airlines suspended the route due to low factor because Boeing 767 - 300 ER was operated on this route, which was not right capacity.. Suggestion - used existing aircraft Airbus 320.
Indonesian cities in Borneo and East Indonesia, such as Pontianak, Banjarmasin, Balikpapan, Palangkaraya and Tarakan, Manado and Makassar in Sulawesi, Denpasar in Bali - Based on large population in wikipedia, . Indonesia is currently one of the booming nations in ASEAN and BI should take this opportunity faster. If these routes strengthen, Royal Brunei Airlines has potential to open new route to Amsterdam, Holland - the largest Indonesian diaspora in Europe.
Other potential routes, to Tokyo, Osaka and Seoul - large indonesian overseas and Brunei is located nearer to tourist destinations such as Manado, Denpasar, Cebu [possible], and etc may able to attract passenger from Japan and South Korea.
New York potential route for BI - should be direct flight by using 787 or stopover, based on Bruneian diaspora in wikipedia estimated population is 7,000.
BI's 5 Boeing 787 - 8s (wikipedia) which are on order are the right fit capacity aircraft due to medium density load factor of BI's routes.
For European destinations, let DXB or AUH or BKK [depends on BI management] as BI's potential secondary hub.

Potential routes

Existing

Long Haul Route

Medium and Short Routes

30 rd October 2011 - BI will drop 4 routes to Ho Chi Minh, Perth, Auckland and Brisbane.. according from wikipedia..

Its OK BI, you have time to improve your services and connections.. If BI strength its regional routes, I believe and optimistically, BI will flies back to these suspended routes.. Wish good luck to BI management..

BI's Business Class