Cheap Flights to Bandar Seri Begawan Airport

Discover Bandar Seri Begawan

Brunei International Airport is the main international airport and primary domestic airport of the Nation of Brunei. It is a public airport that is operated by the Department of Civil Aviation, and is owned by the Government/State of Brunei. It is located in the capital, Bandar Seri Begawan.

Since the opening of commercial airline transport in Brunei in 1953, the government has established that its locals needed a main airport that is accessible through all parts of the country. It was then decided that the government will establish a facility that will accommodate the flight needs of its people, and thus Brunei International Airport was born. Brunei International Airport was completed in 1974, absorbing the initial flights and other services from the previous Brunei Airport that operated commercial flights since 1953. The old airport was located in the Berakas area, with services running from an old runway site that was built by the Japanese during the Second World War. In 2008, the new airport announced that a study to review necessary expansions and modifications were completed, and a master plan was written up soon after. The said master plan consists of different phases, including upgrading of the existing passenger terminal building and cargo terminal.

Currently, the airport terminal receives and dispatches at least 1.5 million passengers yearly, which are quite near from its capacity of two million passengers. Its cargo terminal has a 50,000-tonne capacity, although it is unknown if it is fully maximised. A separate royal terminal is used for the Royal Sultan's flights.

What to see & do

Brunei is a Southeast Asian nation that is a sovereign state located on the north coast of the island of Borneo in Asia. Apart from its coastline with South China Sea, it is completely surrounded by the state of Sarawak in Malaysia, and is separated into two parts by the protruding district of Limbang (also part of the Sarawk state). It is the only sovereign state completely on the island of Borneo; the remainder of the island's territory was divided between the nations of Malaysia and Indonesia (previously, the Philippines also claims lands from here). Although mostly overlooked due to its giant neighbours, Brunei's beauty was never forgotten. Its recent transformation from a colony to an industrialised country is very impressive, and its development truly a great feat. The small country has developed wealth from extensive petroleum and natural gas fields, thus catapulting it as the bearer of the second highest Human Development Index in the region, just behind Singapore. It is also classified as a developed country, and is ranked fifth in the world by gross domestic product per capita at purchasing power parity.

As regards to tourism, Brunei's main points of interests are settled on its history and its natural beauty, with parks, museums, and opulent mosques here and there. Notable is the National Museum of Brunei located in the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan, which was opened by its former monarch Queen Elizabeth II In 1972; the local Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddin mosque and its golden domes; the Istana Nurul Iman, which is the official residence of the Sultan of Brunei and the world's largest residential palace in occupation; and the Malay Technology Museum, which houses the development of technology during the course of history of the Malay race. Apart from these mentioned places, travellers may also explore the capital city of Bandar Seri Begawan, where several shopping and food exploits can be discovered.

How to get around within Brunei

A good bus network around Bandar Seri Begawan can be used by travellers who are looking for cheap travel options without compromising safety and travel 'reach'. It covers most of the capital and a few areas outside the city, and can be used daily until 8:00 in the evening. Alternative options include scarce taxis although prices vary between drivers; tour vans, ferries, and cars.

How to get there

The main airport serving the country of Brunei is Brunei International Airport, located in the capital Bandar Seri Begawan. Airlines that serve the airport include AirAsia, Cebu Pacific, Malaysia Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines, and Singapore Airlines operated by SilkAir. The airport receives flights from Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Bangkok, Denpasar, Dubai, Ho Chi Minh City, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Kota Kinabalu, London, Melbourne, Shanghai, Singapore, Surabaya, and Jeddah.