Royal Brunei Airlines Launch Flight to Beijing Daxing International Airport

Royal Brunei Airlines Launch Flight to Beijing Daxing International Airport

30 October 2019, 9:12 AM

Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) marked another milestone as it celebrates the launch of its flights to Beijing Daxing International Airport at an official launch event on 26^th October 2019.

Present as Guest of Honor at the event was Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Awang Haji Ali Bin Apong, Minister of Primary Resources and Tourism. Also present were Special Guests – Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Haji Mohd Amin Liew Bin Abdullah, Minister at the Prime Minister’s Office and Minister of Finance and Economy II and Chairman of RB Board of Directors; and Madam Ning Bo, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of The People’s Republic of China to Brunei.

“The resumption of Brunei – Beijing flights is a very significant milestone for the National Airline of Brunei Darussalam and an auspicious occasion for all of us.  We are incredibly proud to inaugurate services to the capital city of China, our 26th international destination. We first flew to Beijing on 3rd October 1993, and tomorrow morning, we will resume our services to Beijing Daxing International Airport,” said Captain Saiful Bahrin Awang Bahar, RB’s Acting Chief Executive Officer.

“The China market is a key market for all airlines and is equally important for RB. Furthermore this is an important capital city to capital city link that has been missing in our route network and we are pleased we can make the seamless and direct connection possible with the new technology A320NEO aircraft from tomorrow. RB is one the first of few international airlines selected to operate to this new state-of-the-art Beijing Daxing International Airport in its phase one of the new airport opening. We express our sincere gratitude to His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam and President Xi Jinping for their vision to make this connection a top priority and enable us to commence operations at the earliest opportunity.”

“We are also pleased to announce our plan to increase Beijing’s flight frequency to daily flights on 14 January 2020, in line with the Chinese New Year 2020. This is also a timely initiative given both countries will be celebrating the Brunei-China Tourism Year next year. We encourage all Brunei Tourism and trade stakeholders to take advantage of the Brunei-China Tourism Year, the awareness it will create and help positively position Brunei in the minds of millions of potential Chinese visitors,” added Captain Saiful.

Yang Berhormat Dato Seri Setia Dr Awang Hj Mohd Amin said: “Beijing represents yet another significant milestone that will improve connectivity for Bruneians, thereafter enabling the nation to create network relations as it aspires to create better efficiencies, and add value to the industry it is operating and revitalising in. With the existence of business engagements platforms that we already have across both countries, such as the China-ASEAN Expo and the China International Import Expo to name a few, the resumption of the Beijing service makes way for further development in many fields including, but are not limited to, digital economy, e-commerce, foreign direct investments, maritime oil and gas resources, and many more. Specifically, in the case of Brunei, bilateral trade with China has increased significantly in 2018 with 80% increase to 1.8 billion US Dollars from 1 billion US Dollars. China is also Brunei’s largest import partner and second largest trading partner after Japan. Brunei, as a whole, has benefited from good relations with China, with increasing investments and bilateral trade in areas of mutual interest, has helped to contribute to the transformation of Brunei’s economy.”

“The resumption of direct flight is an important task which our two heads of states had paid great attention to and put a lot of efforts in. During the Second BRF in Beijing last April, H. E. President Xi Jinping and His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah ibni Al-Marhum Sultan Haji Omar ’Ali Saifuddien Sa’adul Khairi Waddien, Sultan and Yang di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam decided together to set up three important tasks for this year’s bi-lateral cooperation. The resumption of the direct flight is one of them. I believe, with the resumption coming into realization, the practical cooperation and friendly exchanges between the two countries will be greatly promoted. The current cooperation in every area between China and Brunei keeps a good momentum, and has great potentials and bright future. The synergy between China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Brunei’s Wawasan 2035 has made more and more achievements. Next year is the year of China-Brunei Tourism Year, and in the year 2021 we will celebrate the 30th Anniversary of the establishment of our diplomatic ties. The resumption of direct flight to Beijing is blessed with a good timing. And with that, i believe China Brunei Strategic Cooperative Partnership will also fly higher and further” said Madam Ning Bo.

Simultaneously in Beijing, RB held a promotional event with RB’s International Brand Ambassador, Wu Chun, in conjunction with the new Beijing flight. The event held at Solana Lifestyle Shopping Park included a Destination Brunei marketing campaign where Wu Chun took part in activities with thousands of fans and visitors at the event to promote and attract new tourists to Brunei Darussalam.

The inaugural flight from Brunei landed in Beijing Daxing International Airport with a water cannon salute at 15:50hrs and was greeted with a welcoming ceremony. Yang Mulia Dato Seri Paduka Dr Awang Haji Abdul Manaf Hj Metussin, Deputy Minister Of Finance And Economy (Economy), Ministry Of Finance and Economy and RB Board of Directors; and RB delegation led by RB’s Acting Chief Executive Officer, Captain Saiful Bahrin Awang Bahar, was on the first flight.

RB will also hold a dinner reception on 27^th October to celebrate the inaugural flight with our business partners attended by Yang Mulia Dato Seri Paduka Dr Awang Haji Abdul Manaf; His Excellency Pehin Orang Kaya Seri Pahlawan Colonel (Rtd) Dato Paduka Haji Abdu’r Rahmani bin Dato Paduka Haji Basir. Ambassador of Brunei Darussalam to the People’s Republic of China; Mr Wang Tian Xiang, Deputy Director of Department of Asian Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China; Her Excellency Madam Yu Hong, Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Brunei; RB brand ambassador; airport officials’ business partner; travel and tour agents at the Kuntai Hotel Beijing.

RB operates its new A320neo aircraft to Beijing via Daxing International Airport (PKX) as follows:

For more information on flights and to checkout attractive promotional fares to Beijing, please visit www.flyrb.com