AirBorneo taps The XMakers to shape brand experience

AirBorneo has appointed The XMakers to develop its customer and brand experience. The consultancy will work on the airline's brand strategy, guidelines and passenger touchpoints.

The project covers both physical and digital parts of the passenger journey as the Sarawak state-owned airline expands regional connections from its base in Kuching.

The XMakers, a Singapore-based consultancy led by Founder and Chief Executive Officer Dominic Stallard, has been tasked with creating a more consistent passenger experience across the airline's services. The work is intended to reflect the character of Borneo throughout the journey.

The design direction starts with the idea of Borneo seen from the air. Rivers, mountain contours, coastlines and street networks are being used to build a visual system linked to real places across the island.

The approach also extends to destination graphics that incorporate local geography into airport codes. These assets can be used across airport spaces, outdoor advertising and digital campaigns.

The remit also includes expanded brand guidelines, with implementation and adaptation led by AirBorneo's in-house teams and media partners.

Design approach

Examples outlined by the airline include meal packaging based on river patterns, menus shaped by coastlines and business cards linked to an employee's hometown or another meaningful place. The work uses AirBorneo's existing colour palette, while allowing different destinations to develop their own expression within the wider airline identity.

The brief goes beyond visual design. Music played onboard will draw on traditional instruments from across Borneo, while the airline's signature onboard scent uses notes inspired by the island.

Food is also part of the plan, with dishes and ingredients from Borneo included in the onboard offer. Some of those items have already attracted attention from passengers sharing favourites online.

Megat Ardian Aminuddin, Chief Executive Officer of AirBorneo, set out the airline's wider aims as it builds its network. "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. As we grow our network, our ambition is for AirBorneo to play a meaningful role in bringing the region closer together. Through passion, purpose, pace and pride, we're putting our customers at the heart of every decision, staying clear on why we're here, always moving forward and building an airline that Sarawak can be proud of," said Aminuddin.

Customer focus

AirBorneo's Head of Customer Experience said the airline wanted brand and service design to be closely linked. It has presented the programme as part of a broader effort to improve the passenger experience as it moves beyond its earlier Rural Air Services role.

"From the beginning, we've believed that AirBorneo's brand and customer experience have to work as one. The intention is to have something passengers can actually see, feel and experience throughout their journey. Our philosophy of continuous improvement will elevate their AirBorneo experience to a higher level. We selected The XMakers because they understand that connection. They bring together brand thinking, customer experience and creativity in a way that will help us turn our ambitions for AirBorneo into something real, distinctive and genuinely meaningful for our passengers," said Azman Ahmad, Head of Customer Experience, AirBorneo.

The XMakers is led by Stallard, who previously held senior creative and consulting roles at Saatchi & Saatchi Singapore and PwC Southeast Asia Consulting. The firm works across customer insight, strategy and design.

For AirBorneo, the consultancy has developed the overall brand direction rather than a standalone advertising campaign. The work is intended to bring together visual identity, sensory elements and service encounters within one framework.

This matters for airlines seeking to stand out on short-haul regional routes, where branding is often most visible in aircraft livery and marketing, but less consistent across onboard and airport experiences. AirBorneo's approach places local geography and culture at the centre of those customer interactions.

The appointment follows AirBorneo's launch of its first international route between Kuching and Singapore in July 2026. The airline was established in January 2026 following the transition from MASWings and has since expanded beyond Rural Air Services with jet operations to Kuala Lumpur and Singapore.

Stallard said the project reflected a view that branding should be expressed through customer experience rather than treated separately. "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," said Stallard.