KOTA KINABALU: Sabah has solidified its position as a regional travel hub with the resumption of direct flights from Kunming, China, to Kota Kinabalu. This latest addition brings the total number of major Chinese cities connected to Sabah to 10.
Assistant Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister Datuk Joniston Bangkuai welcomed the inaugural Kunming flight operated by AirAsia this morning.
The Kunming-Kota Kinabalu route will operate three times weekly, complementing existing AirAsia flights to Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Shenzhen, Wuhan, Shanghai, Beijing and Ningbo.
Additionally, Xiamen Air serves the Fuzhou-Kota Kinabalu route.
While China remains a crucial market for Sabah, the Sabah Tourism Board is actively exploring new opportunities.
Joniston emphasised the state's goal to become a key travel hub in Borneo, collaborating closely with airline partners like AirAsia to expand connectivity.
"We are actively pursuing new markets, including Vietnam, India and Central Asia, and are planning to reinstate direct flights from Australia. The ongoing Nusantara development underscores the need for a robust hub portfolio to attract more international routes," he said.
AirAsia is spearheading efforts to further enhance Sabah's connectivity, with upcoming launches of routes to Shantou (China) and Kaohsiung (Taiwan) in November. Additionally, the airline is promoting a new route from Ho Chi Minh City (Vietnam) to Kota Kinabalu, set to commence in December.
Beyond China, AirAsia serves key Southeast Asian destinations such as Singapore, Manila, Jakarta, Bali, Manado, Taipei and Seoul.
Other airlines operating international direct flights to Sabah include Air Busan, Scoot, Shanghai Airlines, China Southern and Royal Brunei.