Royal Brunei plans long-haul product upgrades while refocusing short-haul to compete against LCCs

Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA) aims to significantly improve its long-haul product next year following the introduction of its Boeing 787 fleet as part of a new strategy to focus on brand in the long-haul market and price in the short-haul market, where it faces increasing competition from LCCs. The long-haul product enhancements will include 18 lie-flat business class seats on the 787s, which will be placed by early 2014 on the carrier's London, Dubai and Melbourne routes as well as potentially to Hong Kong and Shanghai.

RBA is now slated to receive its first of five 787s in Aug-2013, as CAPA first reported in Nov-2011. The carrier will be the first in Southeast Asia to receive the 787. RBA deputy chairman Dermot Mannion said on the sidelines of the CAPA Airlines in Transition CEO Summit last week that the carrier plans to place into service three 787s by the end of 2013 with the final two being delivered in 1Q2014.