AirBorneo picks consultancy to shape customer and brand experience

AirBorneo has appointed Singapore-based consultancy The XMakers to shape its brand and customer experience as the Sarawak state-owned airline expands its connections between Borneo and the region. The work is a 12-month project. 

The remit covers brand strategy, expanded brand guidelines and the development of experiences across physical and digital touchpoints.

Together, these efforts aim to create a more cohesive passenger experience, bringing the landscapes, cultures, communities and hospitality of Borneo into the way travellers interact with the airline throughout their journey.

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The creative direction starts with the region itself from a bird’s eye view. Rivers, mountain contours, coastlines and street networks form the basis of a visual system that can evolve across destinations and passenger touchpoints.

These motifs are reflected in packaging with river patterns, menus shaped by coastlines, and business cards linked to an employee’s hometown or a place meaningful to them. 

Graphics for the airline’s destinations also uses AirBorneo's colour palette while incorporating local geography within airport codes. 

The XMakers developed the overall brand direction, while AirBorneo’s in-house teams and media partners lead implementation and adaptation. 

Beyond visual identity, music played onboard features different traditional instruments, conveying cultures from across the island. A representative told A+M that the music was composed by a group of 180 Sarawakian musicians who regularly perform at Kuching Waterfront, combining traditional and modern instruments.

There is also a signature onboard scent with notes inspired by Borneo, developed by a local PhD researcher in cosmetology at UNIMAS in Kuching. The food served is curated from local dishes and ingredients, and has already proved popular with passengers sharing their favourites online.

"AirBorneo is about creating bridges between Sarawak, Borneo and the wider region. Better connectivity opens doors for tourism, trade, investment and opportunity, while making it easier for people to discover what Borneo has to offer," said Megat Ardian Aminuddin, CEO of AirBorneo. 

In addition, Azman Ahmad, head of customer experience at AirBorneo, said the airline has believed from the beginning that its brand and customer experience have to work as one. He said it chose The XMakers because the consultancy understands that connection and combines brand thinking, customer experience and creativity.

Commenting on the appointment, Dominic Stallard, founder and CEO of The XMakers, said: “Like us, AirBorneo sees brand and experience as the same thing. Too many brands still treat them as separate. But your brand isn’t what you say. It’s what you do, and what people feel when they experience it.”

“Borneo gives us an extraordinary opportunity to bring that thinking to life. Its cultures, landscapes, people, food, craft and hospitality give us an endless source of inspiration to create experiences that could only belong to AirBorneo," he added. 

The XMakers’ appointment comes as AirBorneo develops its regional network, following the launch of its first international route between Kuching and Singapore in July 2026.

AirBorneo was established in January 2026 after the Sarawak government acquired MASWings from Malaysia Aviation Group. The airline's branding has been in the spotlight since before it took off. In August 2025, the airline unveiled its “Wings of Unity” logo and “Borneo for you” slogan ahead of its January 2026 debut.

The reveal drew online criticism, with allegations that the logo resembled a stock vector image, and calls for the Sarawak government to publish the results of the logo and livery design competition it launched in March 2025. At the time, CARMA found that conversations about AirBorneo were 27.8% positive and 11.2% negative. 

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