Established on 18 November 1974, Royal Brunei Airlines is an independent corporation wholly owned by the government of Brunei Darussalam.
At its first meeting which took place seven days after the incorporation, the Board of Directors decided to purchase two Boeing 737-200 aircraft to start up the fleet. Six months later, on 14 May 1975, one of the B737s, bearing the nation's colours, thundered down the runway of the similarly new Brunei International Airport en route to Singapore, Royal Brunei Airline's first-ever scheduled service.