AirAsia has said it will return to the capital city of the Philippines – Manila, from Kota Kinabalu, Sabah starting from 27 May with two weekly flights.
The low-cost carrier has also allowed booking of the flights with special deals offered till 29 May 2022 for as low as RM115 one way via its app. Users can book their flights now and travel between 5 September 2022 and 25 March 2023.
A survey commissioned by AirAsia Philippines in December 2021 revealed that Filipinos are willing to travel in smaller groups this year with their families (69%), partners (40%), and close friends (24%) should international travel protocols relax. Top destinations picked by Filipino travellers include Singapore (73%) and Japan (71%). Ranking ninth in the list of top preferred international destinations of Filipinos is Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, with 47% of the participants including the destination in their top choices.
Puan Noredah Othman, the CEO of Sabah Tourism Board, said, “We are pleased to welcome the return of AirAsia flights from the Philippines to Kota Kinabalu. This is AirAsia’s second international flight to Kota Kinabalu after Singapore. We are excited that international flights are resuming. STB will continue to promote Sabah as a holiday destination to the Philippines market, especially to those interested in climbing Mount Kinabalu and other niche tourism products.”
As for Covid-19 SOP, passengers arriving in the Philippines must download and install the Traze Contact Tracing App and register for the e-Health Declaration Card (e-HDC) through the Bureau of Quarantine’s OneHealthPass (OHP).
