Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) will introduce non-stop direct flights into London beginning October 28 this year, its CEO disclosed during a press conference yesterday.
The almost 14-hour flight will save passengers transit time in Dubai, and according to Karam Chand, will meet customer demand for non-stop travel between Brunei and London. “For this route [Brunei – London], we usually exceed our average passenger load of 71 per cent. Usually, only 20 per cent of passengers on these route are locals, so we are servicing a bigger market,” Chand said.
The decision to fly direct non-stop also comes on the back of a “significant runway upgrade” at the Brunei International Airport, making it possible for RB fleet to operate at full capacity in terms of fuel and cargo load, the airline CEO explained.
“We believe it is a huge opportunity for Brunei to be able to connect to London, Heathrow on a daily basis,” he added, touching on the tourism and trade boost from the UK and Europe which the move will implicate. To make the national carrier’s Dreamliner fleet more attractive, RB will be improving its in-cabin entertainment services effective next month.
The new flight schedule for October will also be “more attractive” to passengers, with flights leaving Brunei at midnight and reaching London in the early morning.
Currently, RB flies daily from Brunei to London, with a stop-over in Dubai. In October, when the airline will start flying Brunei-London direct, Chand said that it will not discontinue flights into Dubai, and will maintain the route four times weekly.