Brunei’s newest airline GallopAir launched with a chartered flight from Guangzhou to Brunei on December 31, operated by China Southern Airlines.
As GallopAir works to secure clearance from Brunei’s authorities to operate its own fleet, CEO Cham Chi announced plans to partner with regional carriers to offer chartered flights from China to Brunei, and extending onto under-served Southeast Asian destinations such as Tawau, Bali, and Timor Leste in 2025.
Cham stated that the purpose of GallopAir choosing to launch with chartered flights was to gauge market response and demonstrate the capabilities of aircraft manufactured by the Chinese state-owned aerospace company COMAC.
GallopAir has committed to using COMAC aircraft for its fleet, following a US$2 billion order for 30 units.
The focus is particularly on the recently rebranded C909, formerly known as the ARJ21—a smaller, regional jet that constitutes half of GallopAir’s fleet and was also used for China Southern’s chartered flight to Brunei.
The chartered flights will be available for purchase in Brunei through local agents, including Freme Travel Services and Anthony Tours, as well as through GallopAir’s website, set to launch later this year.
2025: GallopAir’s Year of Breakthrough?
In an exclusive interview, Cham expressed optimism that GallopAir would secure two critical approvals from Brunei’s Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) to launch their own fleet in mid to late 2025: the Air Operator Certificate (AOC) as a carrier, and the type certification for the aircraft.
He noted that they are currently in the second of five phases for both approvals—a pivotal stage where the DCA reviews the manuals of GallopAir and COMAC, before proceeding to the other phases which include test flights. Cham added that the DCA visited COMAC in China last August.
In the interim, GallopAir’s partnership with China Southern Airlines will be crucial, enhancing Brunei-China connectivity via Guangzhou, strategically a three-and-a-half-hour flight from Brunei.
This route will serve as the foundation to attract Chinese travellers to Southeast Asia and vice versa, with Brunei as a hub connecting travellers to the nearby destinations in BIMP-EAGA.
“China Southern is an ideal partner for us to launch our chartered service as they are currently the largest operator of the C909 aircraft,” Cham said.
“From the outset, our plan has been for Brunei to connect China to the BIMP-EAGA sub-region, where we see significant untapped potential.”
“The timing of the Brunei-Guangzhou route is strategic: passengers from Guangzhou arrive in Brunei around noon, while the return flight lands in Guangzhou around 5pm. This scheduling allows Chinese travellers the option of taking flights to nearby destinations, while Brunei or BIMP-EAGA residents landing in Guangzhou can take flights to the major Chinese cities on the same day,” Cham explained.
The Brunei-Guangzhou chartered flights are expected to operate twice weekly starting mid-January 2025. GallopAir will need to finalise separate arrangements to launch chartered flights from Brunei to nearby Southeast Asian destinations.
The launch of GallopAir’s fleet will be a pioneering milestone for COMAC and the global aviation industry, marking the first time the manufacturer’s planes are used as the launching fleet for a carrier outside China.
GallopAir Private Limited, a holding company in Singapore, currently owns 95% of GallopAir Sdn Bhd in Brunei. The Singapore company is wholly owned by Shaanxi Tianju Investment Group in China, which Chinese businessman Yang Qiang owns and chairs. There are also several Chinese investors holding minority stakes.
