KOTA KINABALU, 20 March 2025: AirAsia suspends four routes from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia, to destinations in China, Taiwan, and Indonesia during the summer timetable.
The suspensions are evident in popular booking sites’ online flight schedule data on 30 March and during the first week of April and May.
Borneo Post Online earlier this week reported that Sabah’s Tourism, Culture, and Environment Minister, Datuk Seri Panglima Christina Liew is asking the airline for an explanation. Air Asia committed itself to developing Sabah as a hub for regional direct flights to support the state’s efforts to expand international tourism to destinations on Borneo Island.
In addition to suspending the five international routes, Borneo Post Online reported that the low-cost airline will reduce flights between Kota Kinabalu and Hong Kong from 10 per week to daily, effective 30 March.
Five destinations dropped from the summer timetable
Kota Kinabalu–Ningbo, China: Suspends four weekly flights on 28 March.
Kota Kinabalu-Kaohsiung, Taiwan: Suspends four weekly flights on 6 April.
Kota Kinabalu–Manado, Indonesia: Suspends three weekly flights on 6 April.
Kota Kinabalu-Wuhan, China: Suspends daily flights on 6 April.
Kota Kinabalu–Kunming, China: Suspends three weekly flights on 5 May.
Borneo Post Online quoted Liew saying Sabah’s tourism has shown remarkable recovery and growth in 2024, with 3.14 million visitors surpassing the ministry’s 3 million target.
“This surge in arrivals generated approximately MYR7.28 billion in tourism receipts, underscoring the sector’s vital contribution to Sabah’s economy.
“A significant factor contributing to this success has been our commitment to enhancing air connectivity. Partnerships with airlines such as AirAsia and Royal Brunei Airlines have created new avenues for travel, increasing both direct and transit arrivals. As we move forward, Sabah aims to attract 3.5 million tourists in 2025, with AirAsia alone committing to bringing 5 million passengers to Sabah through Kota Kinabalu, Sandakan and Tawau airports,” she told Borneo Post Online.
