Kota Kinabalu Airport has 2 terminals, but only one of them is for public and passengers.

• Terminal 1 - all airlines and all destinations (international and domestic)
• Terminal 2 - the building on the other side of the runway was formerly used by AirAsia but now only handles private and charter flights

Find a hotel near Kota Kinabalu Airport

Kota Kinabalu Airport Terminal 1 is very modern, spacious and well laid out. The building is medium sized compared to other airports and it takes about 5-7 minutes to walk to the furthest departure gate.

Queues for security checks can take up to 25 minutes early in the morning.

Transfer between flights

Kota Kinabalu is a regionally significant transfer point between the rest of Malaysia and smaller airports in Sabah province.

International transfers may also take place here.

Below we describe cases where you have purchased all flights as one booking or are travelling with hand luggage only and have an online boarding pass for a connecting flight.

Domestic <-> Domestic

Transferring between two international flights is very easy.

You get off the plane straight into the departure gate area, so all you have to do is find the connecting flight on the board and move to the appropriate gate.

• Average transfer time - 10-15 minutes
• baggage on transfer - will be automatically transferred

If you are heading to other Sabah/Sarawak airports, you will still go through regional immigration control (this region has extensive autonomy), but these checks tend to be very quick.

International -> Domestic

On arrival, you have to go through immigration, exit the transit zone, collect your luggage and check in again.

You will then go through standard security to the departure gate.

• Average transfer time - 40-65 minutes
• baggage on transfer - you must collect and re-check in

Domestic -> International

Upon arrival from a domestic flight, exit the transit area and proceed through the public area to international security and passport control.

• Average transfer time - 30-55 minutes
• baggage on transfer - will be automatically transferred

Overnight in the terminal - opening hours

Kota Kinabalu Airport remains open 24/7, but there are very few comfortable places in the public part of the terminal.

Many passengers sleep in their own sleeping bags on the terminal floor.

However, be aware that the terminal is quite busy even during the night, as international departures to South Korea, China or Japan in particular take place during the night hours.

Hotels near the airport

For a more comfortable overnight stay, choose accommodation close to the terminal.

• Sovotel @ Napzone KKIA ** - A small capsule hotel just inside the terminal (access from the public area only)
• 5 Minutes Airport Lodge - a small and very cheap private guesthouse in the adjacent neighbourhood about 10-15 minutes walk from the terminal