More good news for Sabah as AirAsia announces new route Kota Kinabalu to Shanghai Starting Feb 20, 2024. The Malaysian-based low-cost carrier announced the new international direct route connecting the state capital with Shanghai, China.

AirAsia New Route from Kota Kinabalu to Shanghai Starts 20 Feb 2024

Shanghai will be the sixth destination in mainland China to be accessible from Kota Kinabalu, joining Hangzhou, Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Beijing and Wuhan. The development was a strong testament to Kota Kinabalu’s position as the airline’s second-largest hub in the country, according to AirAsia in a statement on Wednesday (Jan 10, 2024).

AirAsia Aviation Group chief executive officer Bo Lingam said this during the announcement;

“We are thrilled to kick off the new year with this momentous announcement, especially for our guests in Sabah. Following the government’s visa-free entry initiative last year, this presents a significant opportunity to stimulate tourism between China and Malaysia.

China, one of our largest markets, boasts 19 routes from Malaysia, with a remarkable 162 weekly flights from February 2024 onwards. Beyond expanding our Kota Kinabalu hub, this new international route reinforces our standing as China’s largest foreign low-cost carrier. We eagerly anticipate contributing substantially to the Sabah tourism sector as the state targets 2.8 million tourist arrivals in 2024.”

Besides mainland China, AirAsia Malaysia currently serves direct routes from Kota Kinabalu to three other international destinations – Singapore, Taipei and Hong Kong. For more information, please visit the official AirAsia website for flights, hotels and more deals.