Royal Brunei

ICAO: RBA IATA: BI Active as of Feb 14, 2026

Airline Statistics

47

Active Routes

1692

Flight Observations

27

Unique Destinations

21

Origin Airports

2103

Avg Route Distance (mi)

7016

Longest Route (mi)

0

Domestic Routes

47

International Routes

About Royal Brunei

Royal Brunei Airlines (ICAO: RBA) is the national flag carrier of Brunei, known for its focus on Bruneian hospitality and a modern fleet.

Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) was established on November 18, 1974, as the flag carrier of Brunei, wholly owned by the Government of Brunei Darussalam. Its inaugural flight took off on May 14, 1975, connecting Bandar Seri Begawan with Singapore, Hong Kong, Kota Kinabalu, and Kuching, utilizing an initial fleet of two Boeing 737-200 aircraft. The airline's main hub and operational base is Brunei International Airport (BWN), located in Bandar Seri Begawan, the capital city.

The current fleet primarily comprises Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners for its long-haul routes and Airbus A320neo aircraft for regional and short-haul operations. The airline's route network is international, serving 22-32 destinations across Asia (including Southeast Asia, China, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan, India, Hong Kong, Philippines), the Middle East (Dubai, Jeddah), Australia (Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth), and Europe (London Heathrow). Royal Brunei Airlines is not a member of any major global airline alliance such as Star Alliance, SkyTeam, or Oneworld. However, it maintains codeshare agreements with several airlines, including Malaysia Airlines, Thai Airways, and Garuda Indonesia, and a marketing partnership with Singapore Airlines.

Royal Brunei Airlines offers two main cabin classes: Business Class and Economy Class. Business Class on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner features comfortable lie-flat seats, priority boarding, and access to airport lounges. Economy Class provides ergonomic seating with adjustable headrests, in-flight entertainment, complimentary meals, and power outlets. A notable characteristic of Royal Brunei Airlines, adhering to Brunei's Islamic principles, is that it operates as a "dry" airline, meaning no alcoholic beverages are served onboard. The airline also provides halal meals to its passengers. Its frequent flyer program is called Royal Skies.

Traveler Reviews

Traveler reviews for Royal Brunei Airlines generally highlight a positive experience, though with some recurring areas for improvement.

What Travelers Love:

  • Friendly and professional cabin crew: Many travelers consistently praise the airline's staff for their warmth, attentiveness, and professional service, often describing them as some of the best in economy class.
  • Comfortable seating, especially on the Boeing 787: Passengers appreciate the spaciousness and comfort of the seats, particularly the lie-flat beds in Business Class and the generous legroom in Economy Class on the 787 Dreamliner.
  • Good value for money: Several reviews indicate that Royal Brunei Airlines offers competitive fares, making it an attractive option for certain routes.
  • Halal and Muslim-friendly services: The airline is recognized for providing halal meals and catering to Muslim travelers, earning it the "Muslim-Friendly Airline of The Year" award in 2024.

Common Complaints:

  • Dated in-flight entertainment (IFE) system: Some passengers find the IFE screens small, the user interface slow, and the movie selection limited, suggesting an outdated system, especially on older 787 aircraft.
  • Website and online check-in issues: Travelers have reported glitches and difficulties with the airline's website, particularly when attempting online check-in from mobile devices.
  • Inconsistent food quality/quantity: While some find the food good, others have noted that the quality is average or that the meal portions on longer flights can be insufficient.
  • Flight delays and disruption management: There have been instances of significant flight delays, with some passengers expressing dissatisfaction over how these disruptions and associated accommodations were handled.
  • No alcohol service: For travelers accustomed to alcoholic beverages onboard, the airline's "dry" policy can be a point of disappointment, though it aligns with Brunei's cultural and religious practices.

Overall, Royal Brunei Airlines is often regarded as a good, reliable airline, particularly praised for its exceptional cabin crew and comfortable long-haul experience at competitive prices. However, modernizing its in-flight entertainment and improving online functionalities and consistency in food service could further enhance the passenger experience.

Safety Information

Royal Brunei Airlines maintains a strong overall safety record. The airline has received a 7-star safety rating from AirlineRatings.com. In 2021, it also received the highest seven-star rating for its COVID-19 response from airlineratings.com. The airline emphasizes that safety is its main priority and that it never compromises on it.

The most notable incident in the airline's history was the crash of Royal Brunei Airlines Flight 839 in 1997. This Dornier 228 aircraft, owned by Royal Brunei Airlines but operated and maintained by Malaysian regional carrier Hornbill Airways, crashed on approach to Miri, resulting in the deaths of all 10 people on board. Since this incident, Royal Brunei Airlines has maintained a fatality-free record. More recent, non-fatal incidents include an engine shutdown on a Boeing 787 near Manila in 2015, a cargo fire indication on a Boeing 777 in 2012, and a power bank in thermal runaway on an Airbus A320neo in 2019.

Royal Brunei Airlines has passed all 3 of 3 audits it has undergone, according to AirlineRatings.com. While specific mentions of IOSA or FAA certifications are not detailed in the provided information, the high safety rating and international operations imply adherence to stringent global aviation standards.

The airline operates a relatively modern fleet. As of September 2022, the average age of its fleet was 6.3 years, with Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners averaging 7.9 years and Airbus A320neo aircraft averaging 4.1 years. As of December 2024, the five Boeing 787-8 Dreamliners averaged 10.1 years, and the seven Airbus A320neos averaged 6.4 years, bringing the overall fleet average to 8.3 years. The airline is currently undertaking a fleet renewal program, including an order for four Boeing 787-9 aircraft, aiming for a complete fleet renewal and one of the youngest fleets in the Asia/Pacific region. Maintenance and overhaul operations are reportedly conducted both in-house by Royal Brunei Engineering and by overseas partners like Air France or Lufthansa.

Based on available data, Royal Brunei Airlines maintains a strong overall safety assessment. Its high safety rating, fatality-free record since 1997, and ongoing fleet modernization efforts contribute to its reputation as a safe airline.

Compiled by AirportRoutes.com • Updated 2 months, 2 weeks ago

Route Network Map

Click on any airport to see its routes

Most Popular Routes

BWN → KUL
Brunei International Airport → Kuala Lumpur Int'l
926 miles
201 flights
A20N
BWN → SIN
Brunei International Airport → Singapore Changi
795 miles
190 flights
B788
BWN → BKI
Brunei International Airport → Kota Kinabalu Int'l
103 miles
139 flights
A20N
95 flights
A20N
BWN → HKG
Brunei International Airport → Hong Kong Int'l
1203 miles
86 flights
B788
BWN → CGK
Brunei International Airport → Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Int'l
955 miles
85 flights
A20N
BWN → MEL
Brunei International Airport → Melbourne Tullamarine
3520 miles
77 flights
B788
75 flights
A20N
BWN → BKK
Brunei International Airport → Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
1140 miles
75 flights
A20N
67 flights
A20N

Top Destinations

KUL (WMKK)
Kuala Lumpur Int'l
Sepang
201 flights
1 route
SIN (WSSS)
Singapore Changi
Singapore
190 flights
1 route
BWN (WBSB)
Brunei Int'l
Bandar Seri Begawan
181 flights
15 routes
BKI (WBKK)
Kota Kinabalu Int'l
Kota Kinabalu
139 flights
1 route
MNL (RPLL)
Manila Int'l
Metro Manila
95 flights
1 route
HKG (VHHH)
Hong Kong Int'l
Hong Kong
86 flights
1 route
CGK (WIII)
Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Int'l
Tangerang
85 flights
1 route
MEL (YMML)
Melbourne Tullamarine
Melbourne
77 flights
1 route
SUB (WARR)
Juanda Int'l
Surabaya
75 flights
1 route
BKK (VTBS)
Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
75 flights
1 route

Top Origin Airports

BWN (WBSB)
Brunei International Airport
Bandar Seri Begawan
1503 flights
25 routes
SIN (WSSS)
Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore
50 flights
2 routes
SUB (WARR)
Juanda International Airport
Surabaya
24 flights
1 route
BKI (WBKK)
Kota Kinabalu International Airport
Kota Kinabalu
19 flights
1 route
KUL (WMKK)
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Sepang
19 flights
1 route
PKX (ZBAD)
Beijing Daxing International Airport
Beijing
16 flights
1 route
BPN (WALL)
Sultan Aji Muhammad Sulaiman Sepinggan International Airport
Balikpapan
12 flights
1 route
KCH (WBGG)
Kuching International Airport
Kuching
10 flights
1 route
JED (OEJN)
King Abdulaziz International Airport
Jeddah
9 flights
1 route
BKK (VTBS)
Suvarnabhumi Airport
Bangkok
7 flights
1 route

Top Border Crossing Flights

KUL (WMKK)
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Sepang, MY
201 flights
1 route
SIN (WSSS)
Singapore Changi Airport
Singapore, SG
190 flights
1 route
BWN (WBSB)
Brunei International Airport
Bandar Seri Begawan, BN
181 flights
15 routes
BKI (WBKK)
Kota Kinabalu International Airport
Kota Kinabalu, MY
139 flights
1 route
MNL (RPLL)
Ninoy Aquino International Airport
Metro Manila, PH
95 flights
1 route
HKG (VHHH)
Hong Kong International Airport
Hong Kong, HK
86 flights
1 route
CGK (WIII)
Soekarno-Hatta International Airport
Tangerang, ID
85 flights
1 route
MEL (YMML)
Melbourne Airport
Melbourne, AU
77 flights
1 route

Longest Routes

LGW → BWN
London Gatwick Airport → Brunei Int'l
7016 mi
BWN → LGW
Brunei International Airport → London Gatwick
7016 mi
JED → BWN
King Abdulaziz International Airport → Brunei Int'l
5185 mi
BWN → JED
Brunei International Airport → King Abdulaziz Int'l
5185 mi
BWN → MED
Brunei International Airport → Prince Mohammad Bin Abdulaziz
5154 mi

Shortest Routes

BWN → BKI
Brunei International Airport → Kota Kinabalu Int'l
103 mi
BKI → BWN
Kota Kinabalu International Airport → Brunei Int'l
103 mi
ITM → NRT
Osaka International Airport → Narita Int'l
287 mi
BWN → KCH
Brunei International Airport → Kuching Int'l
397 mi
KCH → BWN
Kuching International Airport → Brunei Int'l
397 mi

All Routes

47 Total Routes
Showing 25 most popular routes
Route Destination Flights Distance Aircraft Last Seen
BWN → KUL Kuala Lumpur Int'l
Sepang
201 926 mi A20N Feb 14, 2026
BWN → SIN Singapore Changi
Singapore
190 795 mi B788 Feb 14, 2026
BWN → BKI Kota Kinabalu Int'l
Kota Kinabalu
139 103 mi A20N Feb 14, 2026
BWN → MNL Manila Int'l
Metro Manila
95 781 mi A20N Feb 12, 2026
BWN → HKG Hong Kong Int'l
Hong Kong
86 1203 mi B788 Feb 14, 2026
BWN → CGK Jakarta-Soekarno-Hatta Int'l
Tangerang
85 955 mi A20N Feb 12, 2026
BWN → MEL Melbourne Tullamarine
Melbourne
77 3520 mi B788 Feb 14, 2026
BWN → BKK Suvarnabhumi Bangkok Int'l
Bangkok
75 1140 mi A20N Feb 12, 2026
BWN → SUB Juanda Int'l
Surabaya
75 865 mi A20N Feb 12, 2026
BWN → KCH Kuching Int'l
Kuching
67 397 mi A20N Feb 12, 2026
BWN → NRT Narita Int'l
Tokyo (Narita)
53 2678 mi A20N Feb 14, 2026
BWN → TPE Taiwan Taoyuan Int'l
Taipei
50 1454 mi A20N Feb 14, 2026
BWN → ICN Incheon Int'l
Seoul (Incheon)
49 2364 mi A20N Feb 14, 2026
SIN → BWN Brunei Int'l
Bandar Seri Begawan
49 795 mi A20N Feb 13, 2026
BWN → SGN Tan Son Nhat Int'l
Ho Chi Minh City
45 697 mi A20N Feb 11, 2026
BWN → DXB Dubai Int'l
Dubai
43 4181 mi B788 Feb 14, 2026
BWN → MAA Chennai Int'l
Chennai / Madras
34 2435 mi A20N Feb 10, 2026
BWN → NNG Nanning Wuxu Int'l
Nanning
33 1303 mi A20N Feb 14, 2026
BWN → BPN Sepinggan Int'l
Balikpapan
30 451 mi A20N Jan 30, 2026
BWN → JED King Abdulaziz Int'l
Jeddah
29 5185 mi B788 Jan 19, 2026
BWN → PKX Beijing Daxing International Airport
Beijing
26 2392 mi A20N Feb 11, 2026
SUB → BWN Brunei Int'l
Bandar Seri Begawan
24 865 mi A20N Feb 13, 2026
BKI → BWN Brunei Int'l
Bandar Seri Begawan
19 103 mi A20N Feb 13, 2026
KUL → BWN Brunei Int'l
Bandar Seri Begawan
19 926 mi A20N Jan 2, 2026
PKX → BWN Brunei Int'l
Bandar Seri Begawan
16 2750 mi A20N Jan 19, 2026
Data Information:

Airline statistics are based on flight route observations collected from FlightAware AeroAPI and other sources. Flight counts represent observed operations, not scheduled frequencies. Route data is continuously updated as new flight information becomes available.

Data Freshness: Real-time
Last Update: Feb 14, 2026 06:06
Coverage: Observed routes only