Royal Brunei Airlines Sdn Bhd (Malay: Penerbangan DiRaja Brunei, or RBA, is the flag carrier airline of the Sultanate of Brunei. It is wholly owned by the Government of Brunei. Its home base is the Brunei International Airport in Berakas, just to the north of the capital city of Brunei, Bandar Seri Begawan.

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Royal Brunei Airlines was established on 18 November 1974 with two Boeing 737s.The airline’s first flight was on 14 April 1975 from the new Brunei International Airport to Singapore. Flights to the then British colony of Hong Kong and the city of Kota Kinabalu and Kuching in East Malaysia/Malaysian Borneo started the same day. Early route expansion included services to Manila, Philippines in 1976, and Bangkok, Thailand in 1977.

Royal Brunei acquired a third Boeing 737 in 1980, allowing the airline to reach Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, in 1981 and Darwin, Australia, in 1983.
From National Independence
After the independence of Brunei from the United Kingdom on 1 January 1984, services commenced to Jakarta, Indonesia, on 3 January, thus linking all the other five capital cities of ASEAN to Brunei.

Three Boeing 757 aircraft were purchased in the mid 1980s to enable the airline to expand to Taipei in 1986, and Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 1988. In 1990, Royal Brunei began their first flight to Europe when they started services to Frankfurt, Germany, via Bangkok and Dubai. Services to London Gatwick Airport commenced in 1990 via Singapore and Dubai, and changed to London Heathrow Airport in 1991. Also in 1991 routes opened to Perth, Western Australia, and to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, via Dubai.
Rapid Expansion
With the airline’s rapid expansion the 737s were sold and Boeing 767 aircraft bought. The delivery of the first Boeing 767 broke a world record when it flew 17 hours and 54 minutes non stop from the Boeing company in Seattle to Jomo Kenyatta International Airport in Nairobi, Kenya, on its way to Brunei. Seven more 767s were delivered, taking the fleet to eight 767s and two Boeing 757s (One of the 757s were sold off to fund the purchase of the new 767s).

In March 1993, Abu Dhabi was added to the route network and flights to Frankfurt and Jeddah were routed through Abu Dhabi instead of Dubai. Bali was the second Indonesian city to be added to the network in May of the same year. Flights to the third destination in Europe, Zürich, commenced in August 1993 via Kuala Lumpur and another new destination Bahrain. Before the end of the year, services to Beijing, China (October), and Cairo, Egypt (November), via Kuala Lumpur and Bahrain, were inaugurated. Royal Brunei sold its last Boeing 737-200s to Aloha Airlines of Hawaii in 1993.

The growth of the network continued in 1994. The delivery of two Fokker 50 aircraft were used to start services to Miri and Labuan in East Malaysia of the same year. Flights to Brisbane, Australia, and Osaka, Japan, commenced the same year in June and December respectively (the Brisbane service was initially routed via Darwin but later upgraded to a nonstop flight). The desire to link all the major Oil and Gas cities on Borneo saw the addition of Balikpapan to the route network in December.

Royal Brunei Airlines Boeing 767-300 landingIn 1995, services began to Kolkata (Calcutta), India, via Singapore and then on towards Dubai. Two Dornier 228s were purchased in the same year and leased to the Malaysian regional carrier, Hornbill Airways, to connect Brunei by air to Mulu. The service to Cairo was suspended in the middle 1995 due to low passenger numbers.

The F-50s were replaced by the larger and more comfortable F-100 jets in 1996 which fueled expansion to Bintulu. The route to Zürich was suspended in September 1996 to enable Royal Brunei to commence daily services to London Heathrow. Some of the flights to London were routed through Yangon, Burma, and Abu Dhabi, instead of via Singapore and Dubai. Yangon proved uneconomic and was dropped from the route the following year.
Consolidation
In August 1997, a Dornier 228 owned by Royal Brunei Airlines but operated and maintained by Malaysian regional carrier Hornbill Airways, carrying 19 passengers to Miri, crashed into high ground near Miri airport. All 19 passengers and two crew died. The Dornier 228s were sold in 1997 and short haul services connecting Brunei to Miri, Labuan, Mulu and Bintulu were terminated. Surabaya was the fourth Indonesian destination to be added to the network later that year.

Unprofitable cheap flights routes to Beijing and Osaka were suspended in 1998 and the F-100s were also sold off to Alpi Eagles Airlines in 1998.

Kuwait was added to the network in 2000 and was served via Singapore, Kolkata and Dubai. It was suspended a year later. Services also began to Shanghai Pudong International Airport in 2001. Royal Brunei started online booking facilities the same year.
Restructuring
After years of unprofitable operation, Royal Brunei began major restructuring in year 2003. The plan was for Royal Brunei’s fleet to grow from 9 aircraft in 2003 to 24 aircraft by the year 2013. The fleet of 6 Boeing 767 will be changed to 15 new narrow-bodied aircraft and 8 wide-bodied aircraft. The plan calls for half of the new aircraft to be leased and the others to be purchased. The plan also included new services to Auckland, Tokyo, Ho Chi Minh City, Sydney and Seoul and to increase its frequencies on other flights.

In 2003, the deliveries of the new Airbus A319 and A320 marked the start of the re-equipping exercise. Two A319s were delivered on August 28 and September 3. A320s were added December 9 and January 3, 2005. All of the Airbus were leased from CIT Aerospace of USA in a seven year contract. The Airbuses fly mainly on regional routes. With the introduction of new aircraft, the Boeing 757 has been phased out and sold to other parties.

In May 2003, Royal Skies, the airlines’ frequent flyer programme, was launched.

On 31 October 2003, a Royal Brunei jet touched down at Auckland International Airport making it the first destination in New Zealand and the first new destination added to the network as part of the restructuring exercise.

By end of the year 2003, Royal Brunei entered a controversial agreement with Royal Tongan Airlines of Tonga. Under the agreement, Royal Tongan Airlines was to wet-lease one of the two remaining B757s of Royal Brunei. In return, Royal Brunei was given the opportunities to open its market to the US. The deal did not happen because Royal Tongan Airlines went into bankruptcy with huge debt in mid 2004, after less than 6 months of operation. As Royal Tongan Airlines was unable to pay the fees, the B757 was repossessed and stored in Auckland International Airport.

In January 2004, the airline launched Blue Sky Fares, a low cost Internet booking facility, offering cheaper economy class fares to selected destinations, to compete with low cost carriers in the region, such as AirAsia.

Starting in March 2004, four of Royal Brunei’s Boeing 767 aircraft were modified by the introduction of SkyDreamer seats in Business Class to replace the old First Class and Business Class Skyluxe seats. Business Class was renamed as Sky Executive Class and in Economy class each seat was installed with an 8.4 inch TV. Sky Executive Class was subsequently renamed Business Class following poor response from the public.

The unprofitable Taipei route was suspended in late 2004. Kuching and Kolkata were dropped on 31 Oct 2004 due to the rising oil prices, but at the same time, Sydney was added to the route network. Commencing 17 December, flights to Jeddah were routed through Sharjah instead of Abu Dhabi.[1]

The last B757 was retired from the Royal Brunei fleet in early 2005.

Destinations

Main article: Royal Brunei Airlines destinations
Royal Brunei has started services to three of the five destinations (Auckland, Sydney and Ho Chi Minh City) stated in the 2003 restructuring plan. Services to Tokyo and Seoul mentioned in the restructuring plan have yet to commence. Sydney was added to the network in 2004, but will be “suspended” (at the same time as Bali) in 2008.[6]

Code Share Flights

The airlines has a code share agreement with Malaysia Airlines (Kuala Lumpur – Brunei), BMI (London to 6 British cities), Dragonair (Hong Kong – Brunei), Philippine Airlines (Manila – Brunei), and Thai (Bangkok – Brunei). Royal Brunei operates on all these routes with the exception of the domestic British flights which are operated by BMI. Some of the codeshare flights to destinations in Malaysia are also operated by Malaysia Airlines in addition to services operated by Royal Brunei.

Warning to all passengers traveling to or transiting in Negara Brunei Darussalam:

A stern reminder to all passengers traveling to or transiting in Brunei International Airport (BIA) Negara Brunei Darussalam that the carrying and possession of prohibited items such as drugs and live ammunitions is considered a serious offense. This also includes AMULETS OR LUCKY CHARMS made from bullets.

Possession of a bullet is a serious offense in Negara Brunei Darussalam. The punishment for such offense is imprisonment for a term no less than 5 years and no more than 15 years. Offenders shall also be punished with whipping of no less than 3 strokes and no more than 12 strokes.

Customs: Passengers will not be charged duty for carrying up to 200 cigarettes or 50 cigars or 227 grams of tobacco; two bottles of liquor plus 12 cans of beer (only for non-Muslims); and a reasonable quantity of perfumes.

Visas: German, Malaysians, Singaporeans and British nationals with right of abode in the United Kingdom and New Zealand are exempted from the requirement to obtain a visa for visits not exceeding 30 days. American passport holders can enter Brunei Darussalam for three months without visas. For nationals of Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, Luxembourg, Republic of Maldives, The Netherlands, Norway, Oman, The Philippines, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand and The Principality of Liechtenstein, visas are waived for 14-day visits. Nationals of Australia are issued visas on arrival at the Brunei International Airport for visits not exceeding 14 days.

All other visitors entering Brunei Darussalam must have visas obtainable from any Brunei Darussalam diplomatic mission abroad. This Visas are normally issued for a two-week stay but can be renewed in Brunei. Visitors must hold onward tickets or sufficient funds to support themselves while in the country.

N.B. For more details please contact your nearest Brunei Embassy or diplomatic representative.

Transportation: The airport is about 11 kilometres from the capital. Taxis, car rentals and buses are available.

Currency: The Brunei dollar is on a par with the Singapore dollar, which is also accepted in Brunei. Banks, hotels and many department stores will cash traveller’s cheques. Some banks provide automated tellers linked to global access systems.

Clothing: Light clothing is advisable as the climate is generally warm and humid. Women are asked to dress modestly in keeping with local custom.

Language: Malay is the official language but English is widely used. Other languages include Chinese and its dialect variants and other indigenous dialects. Although the official religion is Islam, other faiths including Christianity and Buddhism are practised.

Health: Doctors provide private medical services for a nominal charge. There are a number of state health clinics and hospitals.

Credit cards: Hotels, department stores and other major establishments generally accept all internationally known credit cards.

Tipping: Optional. Some hotels add a 10 percent service charge to their room rates.

Telephones: Overseas calls can be made from hotel rooms through the operator, or via international direct dialling (IDD). There are also coin and phonecard operated public telephones.

Utilities: Power supply is 220 – 240 volts, 50 cycles. The PAL and NTSC system are used by local television. Tap water is generally safe to drink although some take the precaution of boiling it.

Media: Media: Radio Television Brunei has nightly news bulletins and a range of popular entertainment in both English and Malay. Cable network and Malaysian television programmes can also be received. There are two local daily newspapers namely: The Borneo Bulletin (English) and Media Permata (malay). Other regional and international publications are also available at newsstands.

Food: For the adventurous, the food stalls offer Malay favourites, such as satay (barbecued meat on a skewer) and local dishes prepared with curry or coconut milk. Chinese, European and Indian cuisines are also available.

Hotels: Accommodation in the capital ranges from international standard to middle range hotels. Service apartments are also available at reasonable rates.

Shopping: Department stores and shops offer goods ranging from cosmetics and stereos to local handicrafts such as the kris (an ornamental dagger); miniature brass cannon; and kain songket, a cloth with gold or silver thread.

Festivals and Celebrations: National Day, 23 February; Hari Raya, the end of the Muslim fasting month; and His Majesty The Sultan’s birthday, July 15. Other public holidays include Chinese New Year and Christmas.

Customs and courtesy: Thoughtful visitors learn to appreciate the nation’s devotion to Islam. In mosques, visitors should remove their shoes and not to pass in front of people at prayer. Never touch the Al-Quran. A woman should ensure that her head, knees and arms are covered before entering mosques.

A Bruneian shakes hands lightly and brings his hands to his chest. Members of the opposite sex do not shake hands. It is impolite to point with the index finger (use the right thumb instead) or to beckon someone with fingers upmost. Instead the whole hand should be waved with palm facing downwards. The right fist should never be smacked into the left palm. Gifts, particularly food, are passed with the right hand. When sitting, the sole of your feet should not be pointed towards your companions.

Currency

The unit of currency is the Malaysian Ringgit indicated as RM, which is equivalent to 100 cents. Coins are issued in denominations of 1, 5, 10, 20, 50 sen and RM1. Currency notes are in RM1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50, and 100. Foreign currency and traveler’s checks can be converted to Malaysian Ringgit at banks or authorized money changers throughout the country.

Telephone

Local calls can be made from public phones, whether coin or card operated. International calls can be made from phone booths with card phone facilities or at any Telecom offices. Most hotels are equipped with IDD services with a minimal service charge. – Useful Phone Directory

Passports and Visas

Passports

Malaysian government recognized all National Passport or Internationally recognized Travel Document. Any person not in possession of a Passport or Travel Document that is recognized by Malaysian Government must get a Document in lieu of Passport. Application for the Document in lieu of Passport can be made at any Malaysian Representative Office abroad. Holders of Travel Documents like a Certificate of Identity, Laisser Passer, Titre de Voyage or a Country’s Certificate of Permanent Residence must make sure that their return to the country that issued the document or the country of residence is guaranteed. . The former must have enough pages for the embarkation stamp upon arrival and be valid for at least six months at date of entry. The latter should be endorsed with a valid re-entry permit.

Visa

Foreign nationals who need a Visa whether using Single entry Visa, Multiple Entry Visa and Transit Visa to enter Malaysia must apply and obtain a Visa in advance at Malaysian Representative Office before entering the country. A visa is an endorsement in a passport or other recognized travel document of foreigner indicating that the holder has applied for permission to enter Malaysia and that permission has been granted. Foreign nationals who require a Visa to enter Malaysia must apply and obtain a Visa in advance at any Malaysian Representative Office abroad before entering the country. Visa, which has been granted, is not absolute guarantee that the holder will be allowed to enter Malaysia. The final decision lies with the Immigration Officer at the entry point.

How To Apply For A Visa

Application for visas should be made at the nearest Malaysian Missions abroad. In countries where Malaysian Missions have not been established, application should be made to the British High Commission or Embassy. The applicant should present himself together with the following documents:

Passport or Travel Document
Form IM.47 (3 copies)
Three (3) passport sized photographs
Return or onward – journey traveling ticket
Proof of sufficient funds

Tourist Police

Visitors who encounter unforeseen problems and difficulties can seek the Malaysian Tourist Police Unit for assistance. They often patrol tourist spots and will render assistance, as well as safeguard tourists’ security.

Business Hours

The country runs on a normal eight hours a day system with Saturday as half day and Sunday as a day of rest. In the states of Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah, Friday is a day of rest with Thursday as half days. Department Stores and supermarkets are open daily from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.
Conversely, states of Kelantan, Terengganu, and Kedah, Friday is a day of rest with Thursday as half days workday.

Private sector hours are generally operates from 9am to 5pm (Monday-Friday) and 9am to 1pm (Saturday) while government office hours are usually from 8.30am to 5.30pm work on a five-day week. At present, many private sector companies operate on a five-day week.

Tipping

Tipping is not a way of life in Malaysia, but is fast becoming one, depends entirely on you. Most hotels and large restaurants have already included a 10% service charge in addition to the 5% government tax to the receipt (indicated by the ++ mark on menus and rate cards) so tipping is needless.

Taxis in major cities of Malaysia are using a meter. Currently the rates are at RM2 for the first two kilometres and 10 sen for every following 200 metres. On the other hand, there’s a surcharge of 50% levied between midnight and 6am.

What to Wear

Light, cool, and casual clothing is recommended all year round. For more formal occasions, men should wear jackets, ties, or long-sleeved batik shirts whereas women should wear dresses.

Water

It is generally safe to drink water straight from the tap, but it is safer to drink boiled water or bottled beverages.

Medical Services

Medical services are available in most towns at government hospitals and private clinics. Non-prescription drugs are available at pharmacies, as well as supermarkets, hotels, and shopping centers.

Weather

Generally the country is warm throughout the year with temperatures ranging from 21? to 32? Celsius in the lowlands, which is low as 16? Celsius in the highlands. Annual rainfall is heavy at 2,500mm (100 inches). On a rainy day, thunder and lightning often go together with the deep downpour, which normally lasts for about an hour or two. The high humidity level at 80% throughout the year favours light and sweat-absorbent material like cotton for daily dressing.

Commonly, Malaysia has two different seasons. The dry season occurs during the southwest monsoon during May till September. The northeast monsoon brings the rainy period to the country from mid-November and March.

Local Touch

Traditional and local delicacies that are sold by Food hawkers make up the everyday scenes in big or small towns throughout the country. Try our “teh tarik”, a smoothened, creamed tea, and “roti canai”, a fluffy pancake prepared by a local person of Indian Muslim ancestry. “nasi lemak” and a variety of kinds of Chinese noodles are also popular. People from all walks of life common these food stalls.

DO’S

Do smile when you greet people. It is normal to see people in the tourist industry to greet visitors by placing their right hand over the left breast. It means “I greet you from my heart”.

Do remove your shoes when entering homes and places of worship.

Do dress neatly when entering places of worship. It is advisable for ladies, when entering places of worship to wear long sleeves and loose pants or long skirts.

Do wait until you’re in Malaysia to convert most of your currency. A special permit is needed to bring large amounts of ringgit (Malaysia’s currency) into or out of the country. There are no restrictions for foreign money.

Do point with the thumb of your right hand, fingers folded and not with the forefinger.

Do pay careful attention to your attire if you’re female: Wearing hot pants and vests on the islands where Malaysians are used to foreigners is fine, but it may invite harassment elsewhere. At mainland beaches, bring a wrap-around as well as a swimsuit so you won’t feel conspicuous; Malay women usually go swimming fully dressed and some keep their scarves on. While you wouldn’t be expected to do the same, it’s best not to draw attention.

Do help preserve reefs and beaches by leaving coral and shells where you find them.

DON’TS

Don’t kiss anyone in public – not romantically anyway. It has become fashionable in Kuala Lumpur (but not in other parts of the country) to kiss friends hello and goodbye as is done in Europe.

Don’t point the bottom of your feet at anyone.

Don’t touch the head of an adult.

Don’t offer to shake hands unless you know that your acquaintances are fairly Westernized. Even then, let them offer to shake first. Never shake hands with women unless they offer to do so first.

Don’t even think about buying or transporting illegal drugs – there’s a mandatory death penalty for trafficking (possession of 200 grams of marijuana is considered to be trafficking).

Don’t bring up the topic of ethnic relations in Malaysia or the political system: They are both sensitive subjects.