Kota Kinabalu: Tourism players here are urging the State Government to act fast and upgrade Sandakan Airport into Sabah’s second international gateway — warning that the State’s tourism industry is on the brink of losing its competitive edge.
Sandakan Tourism Association President Teo Chee Kim said recent developments, including AirAsia’s suspension of seven routes from Kota Kinabalu, should serve as a wake-up call.
“Over 70,000 seats were wiped out overnight. We can’t keep relying on one airport. Our entire tourism ecosystem is at risk,” he said.
Teo added that the current set-up forces travellers to make costly, time-consuming detours just to leave the country.
“Tourists are being made to ‘U-turn’ back to KKIA. That’s a huge turn-off. It makes promoting Sabah much harder,” he said. “We need to streamline travel, not complicate it.”
He said turning Sandakan into an international gateway — with direct links to Singapore, Hong Kong or Guangzhou — would not only ease outbound travel but also create a seamless west-to-east travel experience across Sabah.
“It would be a game changer. More visitors would explore beyond Kota Kinabalu, and that benefits everyone — tourism, trade and local businesses.”
He stressed that Sabah’s neighbours are aggressively pushing tourism development and Sabah risks being left behind.
“We need to stop talking and start doing. A second international airport in Sandakan isn’t a luxury anymore — it’s survival. The time is now.”
