Kota Kinabalu International Airport

Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) is an international airport in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. It is located approximately 8 km southwest of the city centre. In 2019, over 9 million passengers passed through the airport, making it the second busiest airport in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur International Airport in terms of passenger movements & aircraft movements and the third busiest in terms of cargo handled.

Being the main gateway into East Malaysia, the airport serves as the main hub for MASwings, and the secondary hub for Firefly & Malaysia Airlines. The airport is also AirAsia Malaysia second largest hub in Malaysia after KLIA 2. Another Malaysia based low-cost carrier, MYAirline, also announce plans to utilize this airport as its secondary hub. However, the plan did not materialize as the airline faces a financial crisis in October 2023. Other general aviation companies such as Sabah Air Aviation, Sabah Flying Club, Sazma Aviation & Layang Layang Aerospace had set up their main base here.

Batik Air Malaysia (formerly known as Malindo Air), will re-activate Kota Kinabalu International Airport as its secondary hub soon. Currently, the airline only operates chartered flight from Kota Kinabalu and mainly focuses its operation in KLIA & Subang Airport.

History
The airport began as a military airfield built by the Imperial Japanese Army during World War II. It was then known as Jesselton Airfield (Kota Kinabalu was known as Jesselton at the time). Towards the end of the war, it suffered severe bombings by Allied Forces. After the war, the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) of North Borneo (now Sabah) took over the operation and maintenance of the airport.

Regular passenger service commenced in May 1949, with a weekly Malayan Airways flight from Singapore, via Kuching and Labuan; the route was extended to Sandakan in September 1949. By 1950, the airport served as a stopover for a biweekly flights between Hong Kong and Labuan, via Manila and Sandakan operated by Cathay Pacific. The domestic air service was further developed by Sabah Airways Limited (later known as Borneo Airways) in 1953, connecting the town to Sandakan, Kudat, Ranau, Keningau and Tawau.

By 1957, the original grass strip runway was resurfaced with bitumen material and a new terminal was built. In 1959, the runway had been extended to 1,593 metres to enable the operation of Malayan Airways' turboprop Viscount aircraft.

By 1963, the runway was further reinforced and lengthened to 1,921 meters to cater for Malaysian Airways Comet 4 jet operations. Commercial flights and passenger arrivals gradually increased and a larger terminal building was needed. By 1967, Cathay Pacific operated a twice-weekly Convair 880 jet service between the airport and Hong Kong with an intermediate stop in Manila.

In 1969, a British consultancy firm was appointed to formulate a Master Plan for a phased and organised development of KKIA over the next few decades. The master plan was submitted to the government with recommendations to:
 * reinforce and extend the runway to 2,987 metres to cater for Boeing 707 and 747 jet operations
 * build a new terminal complex and parallel taxiway connecting to the runway
 * provide navigation equipment, communication facilities and a modern light system for the runway

In the 1970s and 1980s, a new terminal building was built on the other side of the runway from the original terminal. Almost all commercial flights were shifted to this newer and larger terminal. Subsequently, the original terminal became known as the Airport Lama ("Old Airport"). In 1992, the DCA of Sabah was corporatised and Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad took over the management and operations of the airport. A further expansion project for both terminals began in 2006, and in January 2007 the original terminal was rebranded Terminal 2 whilst the newer terminal became known as Terminal 1.

In mid-2005, the Malaysian federal government approved major renovation and refurbishment works to the main terminal (Terminal 1) as well as a runway expansion project worth RM1.4 billion. The project saw the runway extended from 2988 m to 3780 m and the size of the main terminal increased from 34000 m2 to 87000 m2. Terminal 1 can accommodate four Boeing 747s, one Airbus A330, seven Boeing 737s, three Fokker 50s and three Dorniers at any given time. It has 12 jetways for passenger use. The air traffic control tower, which had hitherto been attached to Terminal 1, was demolished and replaced by a stand-alone tower. Due to delays in upgrade works and disputes between the Department of Civil Aviation of Malaysia and the contractor responsible for the project, the runway extension and upgrading of the ILS (Instrument Landing System) was delayed to Q1 2014.

As a result of this expansion, the airport is now able to accommodate the world's largest passenger aircraft, the Airbus A380. It has also become the second largest airport in Malaysia, with an annual capacity of 12 million passengers – 9 million for Terminal 1 and 3 million for Terminal 2.

As a major economic and leisure hub in Malaysian Borneo, past operators at the airport include Air Macau, Airphil Express, Australian Airlines, Cathay Dragon, Cathay Pacific, China Northern Airlines, Dragonair, Far Eastern Air Transport, Fly Asian Xpress, HK Express, Korean Air, Lucky Air, Mandarin Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Jetstar Asia Airways, Shenzhen Airlines, SilkAir, Singapore Airlines, South East Asian Airlines, South Phoenix Airways, Thai AirAsia, Thai Airways International, Thai Smile, Tiger Airways, TransAsia Airways, Uni Air, Vladivostok Air and Wings Air.

Terminal 2 was closed on 1 December 2015 and all airlines shifted their operations to Terminal 1. There are plans to use Terminal 2 for cargo operations and general aviation.

Expansion and renovation
In July 2023, Malaysia Airports Sdn Bhd (MASB) has allocated RM8.4mil for a small facelift program. The facelift involves improving the public toilets at the terminal while the rest involves resurfacing the runway and upgrading of the commercial lots as well as the public address (PA) system.

In early October 2023, the Transport Minister of Malaysia, Anthony Loke said that Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd (MAHB) has long-term plans to expand the existing Kota Kinabalu International Airport to accommodate the expected increase in passengers from 9 million to 15.4 million annually. In a written parliamentary reply to a question submitted by Shafie Apdal, Loke stated that the Transport Ministry will review and consider the acquisition of land adjacent to the existing airport as part of the 12th Malaysia Plan. Currently developers and architecture companies are on the masterplanning phase for this project.

As of Q1 2024, Malaysia Airports has presented an action plan for the expansion of the airport. The timeline will take three years and will be split into 2 phases.

The future expansion includes the extension of the International terminal building area with 1 additional gate, construction of additional aircraft bays, Multi level carpark, rework of landside and airside facilities. As a result, Terminal 1's capacity will be increased from 10 million passengers per annum (mmpa) to 12 mmpa with the capability to handle 33 aircraft at any given time.

Proposed relocation to Kimanis
In June 2022, a MOU was signed by Berjaya Land with Sabah state-owned strategic investment arm, Qhazanah Sabah Bhd to explore the possibility of relocating Kota Kinabalu International Airport to Kimanis (KKIA@Kimanis), approximately 60 kilometres from downtown Kota Kinabalu.

In July 2023, the chairman of the state-owned strategic investment arm, Qhazanah Sabah Berhad, Yusof Yacob, claimed that representatives from the state investment arm had presented a feasibility study on the relocation of the airport to the Sabah Economic Planning Unit (EPU) and had met with Transport Ministry personnel about the proposal. The outcome was purportedly positive. He added that it would be up to the State Cabinet to approve the plans.

The relocation would develop an area of 6,070.5 hectares. Out of the total area, 2,023.5 hectares was for the airport while the remaining for supporting services, a new airport city, industrial and residential areas. It would also include expansion programmes for Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul (MRO) for the Aeronautics or aeroplane related industry the aviation training centre.

Criticisms
The proposal to relocate the airport to Kimanis is deeply unpopular and has received universal criticism from the people of Sabah, transportation industry experts as well as politicians from across the political spectrum. The main criticisms include:


 * questions as to how necessary it is to construct a new airport, considering that the data does not show that the current airport is operating beyond or close to its capacity;
 * the unsuitability of the proposed site for the new airport, which is in a rural location approximately 60 km south of Kota Kinabalu and is currently not linked to Kota Kinabalu by any form of public transportation;
 * the added cost, hassle and inconvenience which would be caused to passengers having to travel between Kota Kinabalu and the new airport;
 * the absence of public transportation between Kota Kinabalu and the proposed site for the new airport, with no commitment having been made by the State Government to ensure that such facilities will be built;
 * the need to address more pressing infrastructural issues in Kota Kinabalu and Sabah more generally, especially given the limited resources available to the State Government of Sabah;
 * the advantages of retaining the current airport, including its proximity to downtown Kota Kinabalu and the comparative ease of expanding the airport in the future due to its seaside location; and
 * the damage which would be caused to the economy of Kota Kinabalu should the airport be relocated to Kimanis, including the loss of job opportunities for residents of Kota Kinabalu.

As there is no data and no cogent reasons to support the claim that Kota Kinabalu requires a new airport, there is a strong public sentiment that the construction of a new airport would be an unnecessary waste of funds and that the new airport would end up being a white elephant.

In terms of the political response, UMNO and Parti Warisan Sabah have both objected to the proposed new airport. The Member of Parliament for Kota Kinabalu, Chan Foong Hin, has also raised suspicions regarding the appointment of Berjaya Land to conduct the feasibility study, stating that Qhazanah Sabah has awarded many project contracts to Berjaya Land seemingly without an open tender being conducted.

In the wake of the backlash against the proposed relocation, the State Government of Sabah began to dissociate itself from the proposal. In January 2024, the Chief Minister of Sabah, Hajiji Noor, stated that the current airport can still be used for at least 7 to 10 years and that there is therefore no immediate need to relocate the airport. He also dismissed calls from certain parties for the airport to be relocated merely to allow for more skyscrapers to be built in Kota Kinabalu. The issue was finally put to rest in March 2024 when the Federal Minister of Transport, Anthony Loke, confirmed during a session of the Malaysian Parliament that the Federal Government has no plans to relocate the airport and would instead look into expanding the current airport. Echoing the criticisms raised by the people of Sabah, Loke noted the distance of the proposed new airport from Kota Kinabalu as well as the significant costs which would be incurred to construct the same.

Terminal 1
Terminal 1 is the newer and the main terminal of KKIA. It can be accessed via Jalan Kepayan, Jalan Lintas and Jalan Putatan located in the suburb or township of Kepayan. The terminal is capable of handling 9 million passengers per annum and is equipped with the following facilities:
 * 64 check-in counters for international and domestic flights
 * 2 baggage x-ray check-in machines and 5 hand luggage x-ray machines (3 for departures, 1 for VIPs and 1 for staff)
 * 36 immigration counters (16 for departures and 20 for arrivals)
 * 6 baggage carousels
 * 5 floors (First floor: arrival hall, second floor: airline offices and inter-state departures, third floor: check-in counters and domestic/foreign departures, fourth floor: Malaysia Airports office, fifth floor: Malaysia Airports administration office)
 * 12 aerobridges (to provide jetway facilities for landing arrangements of either 5 widebody aircraft along with 2 narrowbody aircraft or 12 narrowbody aircraft)
 * 22 aircraft parking bays capable of accommodating wide-body, narrow-body and turboprop aircraft
 * 1,400 car parking bays

The Departure Hall column head design is inspired by the 'Wakid' basket design. A 'Wakid' is, in Sabahan tradition, a symbol of preparing for a meaningful journey. Some ethnic patterns of the Rungus and Bajau ethnic groups are also incorporated into the design of the floor tiles.

The first flight to depart at the new wing was MH2637 to Kuala Lumpur at 06:50 while the last flight at the old wing was at 00:25. Malaysia Airlines is the main operating airline in this terminal.

Generally, flights operating into and out of KKIA Terminal 1 are serviced by narrow-body aircraft. However, during peak travel periods, airlines such as Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia, Batik Air Malaysia and Jin Air will upgrade their equipment to wide-body aircraft such as the Airbus A330-300 and Boeing 777-200LR.

Additionally, KKIA was the first airport in Malaysia to welcome the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, operated by Royal Brunei during several product introductory flights in November 2013. As to date, the largest aircraft to have utilize the terminal are the B777-300ER and Airbus A350 XWB.

Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, KKIA experienced issues during peak periods where aircraft parking is limited. A temporary workaround by Malaysian Airports was the introduction of a few new aircraft remote bays situated beside the MASkargo hangar. The remote bay allows either 3 additional narrowbody aircraft or 1 widebody and 1 narrowbody aircraft at any given time. Also introduced was the revision on current turboprop aircraft to narrowbody jet parking to allow more B737/A320 aircraft. The remote bay construction has been completed in August 2022 which mostly use by freighter airlines.

Terminal 2
Terminal 2 was the original terminal building of the airport when it was first built. It is accessed via Jalan Mat Salleh in Tanjung Aru and is located on the other side of the runway from Terminal 1. Terminal 2 served charter and low-cost carriers, the main airline utilizing the terminal being AirAsia.

In 2006, Terminal 2 underwent a major renovation and extension to accommodate low-cost carriers, reopening on 1 January 2007 in conjunction with Visit Malaysia Year 2007. The works were completed 27 months ahead of schedule. It had 26 check-in counters for domestic and international flights and 9 parking bays capable for narrow-body aircraft as well as 7 luggage x-ray machines, a VIP room and 13 immigration counters. The terminal had the capacity to handle 3 million passengers annually.

However, with limited expansion space and the congestion at Terminal 2, as well as to consolidate all airlines operations in one terminal, airlines at Terminal 2 was ordered to move to Terminal 1. The decision was opposed by AirAsia, and the airline refused to move despite a government directive to do so, missing the deadline five times as of 1 August 2015. The issue was resolved when AirAsia agreed to move to Terminal 1 on 1 December 2015, and Terminal 2 was closed at midnight that day. The terminal will be converted for cargo, charter, VIP flights and general aviation use.

The Terminal currently serves for cargo operators such as Raya Airways and several General Aviation companies such as Weststar and Layang-Layang. Recently, during a state event with many VIP's in attendance, private jets on charter were moved to Terminal 2 to avoid congestion aircraft parking bays on Terminal 1. This includes a Boeing BBJ2 and Boeing 747-8(BBJ).

Accidents and incidents

 * 6 June 1976 – A chartered Sabah Air aircraft carrying several government ministers crashed in nearby Sembulan upon descending towards the airport, killing 11 passengers including the then-Chief Minister of Sabah Tun Fuad Stephens.
 * 4 September 1991 – A chartered Grumman Gulfstream II aircraft crashed into a hill while on approach to the airport, killing all 12 people on board.