SIBU, June 10 — Datuk Betty Wong had to spend more than RM700 on Grab fares and endure a gruelling nearly six-hour journey to attend a training seminar in Sandakan on June 7 after her AirBorneo flight from Tawau to Sandakan was cancelled.

When contacted by The Borneo Post on Monday, the Lions Club past district governor (PDG) said AirBorneo flight MY3062 from Tawau to Sandakan on June 7 was initially rescheduled from 10.15am that day to 12.55pm on June 8.

However, according to Wong, the flight was eventually cancelled, with passengers allegedly being notified less than nine hours before departure.

“We actually had a seminar scheduled for 1pm on June 7 in Sandakan. That was why we took the morning AirBorneo flight from Tawau to Sandakan, which was scheduled to depart at 10.15am.

“Later, we were informed that the June 7 flight had been rescheduled from 10.15am to 12.55pm on June 8. However, we were later told that the rescheduled flight had been cancelled as well,” she said.

According to Wong, the situation compelled them to rely on Grab’s ride sharing services to travel to Sandakan for the seminar.

“So, we had no choice but to take a Grab from Tawau to Lahad Datu, and then another Grab from Lahad Datu to Sandakan, as we were unable to secure a Grab directly from Tawau to Sandakan during the day.

“It took us nearly six hours to reach Sandakan and had to fork out more than RM700 on Grab fares. It was a very exhausting trip. The seminar, originally scheduled to begin at 1pm, was delayed and eventually started at 5pm,” she lamented.

When asked whether she had received a refund from AirBorneo, Wong said she had not.

“Not yet, because I had called the call centre, but no one answered my calls,” she said, adding that the Grab fares ended up costing more than the airfares.

Wong shared that she was travelling with another Lions member from Sibu on a journey that took them from Sibu to Bintulu, Miri, Kota Kinabalu, Tawau, Sandakan, Kota Kinabalu and finally Keningau, for the Lions training.

On a positive note, Wong recalled that her first experience flying with AirBorneo, from Sibu to Miri, was smooth and free of delays.

“There was no delay at that time,” she said, adding that this was only her second time flying with AirBorneo.

In a related development, a netizen claimed that an AirBorneo flight was rescheduled at short notice, with the departure delayed by two full days.

According to a social media post by Sarawak Eye, many passengers who had planned to return home on the final day of the holidays had their travel plans disrupted when the Kota Kinabalu–Lahad Datu flight was suddenly rescheduled.

“Children who were supposed to return to school today, as well as parents who needed to return to work, were also unable to get back as planned.

“According to the notification received by passengers, the flight originally scheduled to depart from Kota Kinabalu for Lahad Datu on June 7 was rescheduled to June 9 due to operational reasons.”

Meanwhile, AirBorneo, in a press release on Monday, apologised to passengers affected by a series of flight delays and cancellations across Sabah and Sarawak since June 5, attributing the disruptions to a combination of technical, maintenance and operational factors.

The airline said some disruptions are expected to continue over the coming days.

“The disruptions have arisen from a combination of factors, including unscheduled technical rectification on several aircraft, scheduled maintenance already in progress, and operational and crew duty requirements.

“In every case, our decisions have been guided by a single priority: the safety of our passengers and crew. Where an aircraft has required technical attention, it has been withdrawn from service as a precaution until our engineers are fully satisfied it is fit to fly,” it stated.

“With several aircraft undergoing maintenance and technical rectification concurrently, our operating fleet remains temporarily constrained. As a result, passengers should anticipate the possibility of further schedule changes, cancellations and delays over the coming days while our aircraft are progressively returned to service,” it added.

AirBorneo advised passengers travelling during this period to check the status of their flights before heading to the airport.

The airline said its teams are working around the clock to minimise impact and are reaccommodating affected passengers on the earliest available alternative flights.

“We are committed to restoring our full schedule as quickly as it is safe to do so. We sincerely apologise to all affected passengers for the inconvenience caused,” it said.

“Affected passengers are being contacted directly and may also reach our Customer Care team at +608253 7555 (International) or 1 300 22 1388 (Local) or via airborneo.com/en/contact-us for the latest updates, rebooking and assistance.” — The Borneo Post