The return of Royal Brunei Airlines (RBA) to Sabah now makes it accessible for tourists from Brunei and other countries to travel to the Malaysia state.
RBA is the second foreign airline to resume direct flights to Kota Kinabalu, following Singapore’s low-cost carrier Scoot which had recommenced operations to Kota Kinabalu on April 29.
From May 6, RBA flies twice weekly from Bandar Seri Begawan to Kota Kinabalu – with the 40-minute flight operating on Fridays and Sundays.
State assistant minister of tourism, culture and environment, and Sabah Tourism Board chairman, Joniston Bangkuai, said in a press release that the return of foreign carriers is a great indication for the tourism and economy of Sabah.
“The connectivity from Brunei will help with transiting international passengers, especially from routes that were previously in service from Australia, the UK, the Middle East and Japan.”
He added: “Sabah is ready to accommodate tourists, and we hope that more foreign airlines will begin direct flights to Kota Kinabalu. With more direct flights from cities across the ASEAN region, we can expect an increase in visitors.”
RBA sales vice president passenger, cargo, and charter sales, Christina Chua, said Kota Kinabalu is an important destination for RBA and there are plans to increase the frequency of flights in the near future.
Sabah Tourism Board is also collaborating with Suria Sabah Shopping Mall and Jesselton Duty Free to provide discount vouchers for Brunei travellers on RBA to welcome them back to Sabah.
