KOTA KINABALU AIRPORT

"The current Terminal 1 is of a very high standard. It offers free WiFi, a nice and comfortable atmosphere and a satisfying range of amenities such as lounges, duty-free shops and several cafes and restaurants. The airport has no dedicated sleeping areas or quiet zones (apart from couches in the MAS lounge), but because the rows of seats lack armrests, sleepability is quite high.
You can take the escalator to the second floor where a KFC restaurant is located. There are several benches where you can lie."

Kota Kinabalu International Airport is Sabah's largest airport. It is located about 8 km from the city center. It is the second busiest airport in Malaysia. The airport is the main gateway to the state of Sabah. It has one landing/runway. The airport was first operated as a military airfield during World War II. It was then known as Jesselton Airfield (Kota Kinabalu was formerly known as Jesselton).

In the 1970s and 1980s, a new terminal building was built on the other side of the runway. Nearly all commercial flights were shifted to this newer and larger terminal. From then until recently, the original Terminal (2) has been known as Airport Lama ("Old Airport").

Today's Terminal 1 has all the state-of-the-art facilities and modern conveniences, as well as plenty of dining and shopping options. Both domestic and international flights depart here. This Terminal has three floors and features a large number of duty-free shops, lounges, restaurants, travel agencies, bookstores and other shops. From fashion accessories to chocolates and confectionery, and from clothing to jewellery, there are a myriad of shops at the airport. Well-known brands that you will find at the airport include 7-eleven, Adibayu Fashion & Accessories, BAR.FLY, Eraman Emporium, Unique Borneo Handicraft and The Body Shop.

There are restaurants and fast food outlets at the airport, meaning you don't have to worry about eating before you leave on a long flight . Popular food chains such as McDonald's, Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, KFC and Wendy's can be found at the airport. The airport is equipped with free WiFi.
A bus from the airport is a convenient option if you don't have a lot of luggage, and it takes about 25 to 40 minutes to get to the city center by bus. The taxi is another alternative (approx. RM40)

Terminal 1 handles around 7.2 million passengers a year and the airport can handle 9 million.
Terminal 2 still exists, but has been converted for freight, charter, VIP and general aviation.
In view of the developments in tourism, the opening of a second runway/runway cannot be ruled out in the future. Some also want a new airport further away from Kota Kinabalu. This plan seems further away.

The Departure Hall: Checking In

The number of departing aircraft per week with their destination:

	Destination	Frequentie pw
1.	Kuala Lumpur	208
2.	Tawau	71
3.	Sandakan	53
4.	Seoul	42
5.	Kuching	39
6.	Lahad Daatu	35
7.	Labuan	28
8.	Johor Bahru	21
8.	Singapore	21
8.	Guangzhou	21
8.	Bandar Seri Begawan	21

 

The airlines that use the airport for their destination:

AirAsia	Bangkok–Don Mueang, Bintulu, Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Hong Kong, Johor Bahru, Kota Bharu, Kuala Lumpur–International, Kuching, Kunming, Macau, Miri, Penang, Sandakan, Shenzhen, Sibu, Singapore, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tawau, Wuhan, Kuala Terengganu
Air Busan	Busan
Air Seoul	Seoul–Incheon
Cebu Pacific	Manila
China Southern Airlines	Guangzhou
Eastar Jet	Busan, Seoul–Incheon
Firefly	Penang
Jeju Air	Muan, Seoul–Incheon
Jin Air	Seoul–Incheon
Loong Air	Xi'an
Malaysia Airlines	Kuala Lumpur–International, Kuching, Perth, Sandakan, Shanghai–Pudong, Taipei–Taoyuan, Tawau,Tokyo–Narita, Seasonal: Penang
Malindo Air	Kuala Lumpur–International, Kuching, Sandakan, Tawau, Tianjin, Wuhan, Seasonal: Chengdu–Shuangliu, Xi'an
MASwings	Kudat, Labuan, Lahad Datu, Lawas, Limbang, Mulu
PAL Express	Zamboanga
Philippines AirAsia	Manila
RB Link	Bandar Seri Begawan
Royal Brunei Airlines	Bandar Seri Begawan
Scoot	Singapore
Shanghai Airlines	Shanghai–Pudong
Spring Airlines	Shanghai–Pudong
XiamenAir	Fuzhou, Xiamen