KOTA KINABALU, 9 February 2024: Indonesia AirAsia, reopened its flight from Jakarta to Kota Kinabalu on Tuesday, marking the first international route operated by Indonesia AirAsia to resume in 2024.
The airline offers three weekly direct flights on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday to Kota Kinabalu, a destination known as the ‘Land Below the Wind.’
Kota Kinabalu becomes the fifth destination for direct flights from Jakarta to Malaysia by Indonesia AirAsia, following the successful launches of Jakarta-Kuala Lumpur, Jakarta-Johor Bahru, Jakarta-Penang, and Jakarta-Kuching routes.
The inaugural flight, with the code QZ 526, departed from Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK) and landed at Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) at 1555 local time, where it was greeted with a water salute.
Kota Kinabalu, often called by the abbreviation “KK,” is a culturally diverse city with stunning natural beauty, ranging from museums and beaches to the highest mountain in Malaysia. Standing at 4,095 meters above sea level, tourists can challenge themselves to reach the summit of Mount Kinabalu and witness the sunrise. Other popular tourist spots in Sabah include Tanjung Aru Beach, Sabah State Museum, Mari Mari Cultural Village, Atkinson Clock Tower, Gaya Street Sunday Market, KK Waterfront, and Tanjung Aru Perdana Park.
According to data from Statistics Indonesia, Malaysian tourists ranked first among the most foreign visitors to Indonesia in 2023, totalling 16,28% or 1,901,242 tourists. Similarly, records from the Sabah Immigration Department during January – November 2023 show that Indonesian tourists ranked third, with 78,693 foreign visitors to Sabah.
The direct route from Jakarta to Kota Kinabalu should contribute to the government’s efforts to increase the number of foreign tourists visiting Indonesia. This is aligned with the Ministry of Tourism and Creative Economy’s new goal of welcoming 14,3 million international visitors in 2024, representing a substantial 68% increase from the previous target of 8,5 million in 2023.
Indonesia AirAsia Flight Schedule from Jakarta (CGK) to Kota Kinabalu (BKI)
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