How to Get to Sabah — Flights, Routes & Airlines
Sabah is on the island of Borneo, separated from Peninsular Malaysia by the South China Sea. Almost everyone arrives by air. The main gateway is Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI).
By Air
Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) is the primary airport. Sandakan (SDK) and Tawau (TWU) also have airports with limited domestic routes.
Airlines Flying to KK
| Airline | Type | Key Routes |
|---|---|---|
| AirAsia | Low-cost | KL, Johor Bahru, Penang, Kuching and more (KL; Johor Bahru; Penang; Kuching, checked 6 October 2026) |
| Malaysia Airlines | Full-service | Flies to Kota Kinabalu, Labuan, Sandakan and Tawau in its East Malaysia network (Malay Mail, checked 6 October 2026) |
| Firefly | Low-cost | Selected flights to Kota Kinabalu; Firefly flies from KLIA Terminal 1 and Subang (Malay Mail, checked 6 October 2026) |
| Batik Air Malaysia | Full-service | Kuching, Sandakan, Seoul (Incheon) (Daily Express, checked 6 October 2026) |
| Scoot | Low-cost | Singapore (Scoot, checked 6 October 2026) |
| Royal Brunei | Full-service | Brunei (connecting to London, Melbourne) (Royal Brunei Airlines, checked 6 October 2026) |
Fares change with the date and demand, so compare current fares for your dates on the airlines' own websites.
From Kuala Lumpur
This is the most common route. Options:
- Kuala Lumpur (KUL) to BKI: AirAsia flies direct (AirAsia, checked 6 October 2026).
- Malaysia Airlines and Firefly: both fly to Kota Kinabalu; Firefly flies from KLIA Terminal 1 and Subang, so check the departure airport when booking (Malay Mail, checked 6 October 2026).
Book early during school holidays, Hari Raya, and Christmas.
International Routes
KK has direct international flights to:
- Singapore: AirAsia, Scoot (AirAsia; Scoot, checked 6 October 2026)
- Brunei: Royal Brunei, useful for connections to London and Melbourne (Royal Brunei Airlines, checked 6 October 2026)
- Manila: Philippines AirAsia (AirAsia, checked 6 October 2026)
- Seoul (Incheon): AirAsia (AirAsia, checked 6 October 2026) and Batik Air (Daily Express, checked 6 October 2026)
- Shenzhen and Guangzhou: AirAsia (Shenzhen; Guangzhou, checked 6 October 2026)
- Jakarta: Indonesia AirAsia (AirAsia, checked 6 October 2026)
For destinations not served directly, connect through KL (most options) or Singapore.
By Sea
There's no regular passenger ferry from Peninsular Malaysia to Sabah. However:
- Labuan and KK: the direct express ferry made its last run on 30 March 2026 and has been suspended from 1 April 2026 because of rising costs (Daily Express, 3 April 2026; The Star, 2 April 2026, checked 6 October 2026). For other ways to reach Labuan, see the ferry page.
- Labuan ↔ Brunei — Ferry to Serasa/Muara, Brunei
- Cruise ships — KK occasionally receives cruise ships, but this isn't a practical travel option
By Land
You can drive or take a bus from Sarawak to Sabah via the land border. The main crossing point is at Sindumin (Sabah and Sarawak border). From Kuching, it's a very long drive. Most people fly instead.
From Kalimantan (Indonesia), there are land border crossings but these are not commonly used by tourists.
Entry Requirements
- Malaysian citizens from Peninsular Malaysia: enter Sabah with a Malaysian passport, a Restricted Travel Document, or a free single-journey document issued at the immigration counters in Sabah airport arrival halls on showing your identity card (children under 12 use a birth certificate), which lets you stay up to three months (Immigration Department of Malaysia, checked 6 October 2026)
- Foreign visitors: valid passport required. Sabah and Sarawak keep their own immigration control, so be ready for an immigration check when you arrive
- Visa: check the entry rules for your nationality on imi.gov.my, and check the date on the pass you are given
Sabah has its own immigration control. Malaysian citizens from Peninsular Malaysia need a passport, a Restricted Travel Document, or the free single-journey document issued on arrival against their identity card (Immigration Department of Malaysia, checked 6 October 2026). Don't overstay your pass: overstaying is an offence under Section 15(4) of the Immigration Act 1959/63 (Immigration Department of Malaysia, checked 6 October 2026).