AirAsia is all set to resume flights to Kota Kinabalu in Sabah, Malaysia, to Macau and Beijing in China, reports The Borneo Post. The airline is planning to commence four weekly flights connecting Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) to Macau International Airport (MFM) starting July 2023.
AirAsia will also resume flights between Kota Kinabalu International Airport and China's new Beijing Daxing International Airport (PKX) with seven weekly flights from July 1, 2023, marking the first direct flight between the two destinations.
AirAsia will be the only airline connecting Sabah state capital directly to the capital of China, with its new route from Kota Kinabalu to Beijing Daxing. AirAsia's Sabah network plays a significant role as one of its three main hubs in Malaysia, aside from Kuala Lumpur, where the airline operates 20 domestic and international routes.
Sabah offers a range of international routes with AirAsia, including seven weekly flights to Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Wuhan, and Guangzhou, seven weekly flights to Taipei and 14 to Singapore.
Currently, AirAsia is China's largest foreign low-cost carrier, with a 45% market share, following the recent resumption of flights to and from key cities Shenzhen, Guangzhou, Nanning, Wuhan, Kunming, Macao, and Hong Kong.
Notably, the airline operates 35 routes in China, with a combined total of 287 weekly flights from Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines in May. The airline group plans to increase this number to 317 weekly flights by adding new routes such as Kuala Lumpur to Shantou, Kota Kinabalu to Beijing Daxing, Bangkok Don Mueang to Xi'an, and Cebu to Shenzhen between June and July 2023.