Airport guide
Kota Kinabalu International AirportIATA code BKI
Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI/WBKK) is the primary air passenger gateway serving Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia in Asia. The airfield connects travelers with essential regional transit routes and operating carrier options.
- Serves
- Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia
- Codes
- BKI · WBKK
- IATA · ICAO
- Time zone
- Asia/Kuching
- Region
- Asia
Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI/WBKK) is the primary air passenger gateway serving Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia in Asia. Operating on Asia/Kuching local time at coordinates 5.920°, 116.050°, the airfield functions as an active commercial transit hub for scheduled regional and international flights. Travelers navigating Kota Kinabalu International Airport (BKI) are encouraged to confirm terminal layouts, ground transport connections into Kota Kinabalu, and flight schedules with their operating carrier prior to travel.
Kota Kinabalu International Airport details
- IATA code
- BKI
- ICAO code
- WBKK
- City
- Kota Kinabalu
- Country
- Malaysia
- Region
- Asia
- Time zone
- Asia/Kuching
- Coordinates
- 5.933°, 116.049°
- From OurAirports
Codes, region and time zone come from the Originfacts airport record (last updated 21 Jun 2026). Fields marked otherwise come from the dataset named on them. None are verified by hand against Kota Kinabalu International Airport’s own pages.
BKI airport facts
- Size class
- Large airport
- From OurAirports (5 Oct 2026); OurAirports’ own classification
- Elevation
- 3 m (10 ft)
- From OurAirports (5 Oct 2026)
- Passengers, 2021
- 1.11 million
- Per Wikidata (opens in a new tab) (retrieved 5 Oct 2026), citing mot.gov.my (opens in a new tab)
- Nearest airport with scheduled flights
- Labuan Airport LBU · 113 km
- OurAirports scheduled-service flag; straight-line distance calculated
Runways at BKI
Source: OurAirports (opens in a new tab) runways data (public domain), retrieved 5 Oct 2026. Not an aeronautical source — not for navigation.
One open runway, lit. The runway 02/20: 3,780 m, asphalt.
| Runway | Length | Width | Surface | Lighting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 02/20 | 3,780 m12,402 ft | 45 m | asphalt | Lit |
Routes from BKI
Originfacts does not track any routes from BKI yet, so no route records are listed here. Check current schedules with the airlines or the airport’s own site.
Airlines with a hub at BKI
Per Wikidata (opens in a new tab) (retrieved 5 Oct 2026): airlines whose “airline hub” property names BKI, with no end date and not recorded as dissolved. Community-edited; hubs change.
Where BKI is
5.4 km south-southwest
Kota Kinabalu International Airport lies 5.4 km south-southwest of Kota Kinabalu city centre in a straight line. Road distance is longer; transport options are not yet verified (see terminals and transport below).
Calculated from the airport coordinates (OurAirports) and the Wikidata (opens in a new tab) city-centre point.
Terminals, transport and parking at BKI
Terminal assignments, ground transport into Kota Kinabalu, parking, lounges and accessibility services have not been verified against Kota Kinabalu International Airport’s own pages yet, so none are listed here.
Check directly:kotakinabaluairport.com (opens in a new tab)Map of the airport location (opens in a new tab)
Before you travel
- Confirm your terminal with the operating airline.
- Check the check-in and bag-drop cut-off times on your booking.
- Allow extra time if you need to change terminals or check bags in again.
- Check your flight status before you leave for the airport.
Airports near Kota Kinabalu
Straight-line distances calculated from each airport’s coordinates in the Originfacts airport records. Road distances are longer.
Kota Kinabalu International Airport: common questions
Where is Kota Kinabalu International Airport?
Kota Kinabalu International Airport serves Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia. Its coordinates in OurAirports are 5.933°, 116.049°.
What are the airport codes for Kota Kinabalu International Airport?
The IATA code is BKI and the ICAO code is WBKK.
What time zone is BKI in?
Kota Kinabalu International Airport is in the Asia/Kuching time zone.
What is the official website of Kota Kinabalu International Airport?
The airport’s official website is kotakinabaluairport.com. For questions about a booking, contact the operating airline.
How many runways does Kota Kinabalu International Airport have?
OurAirports lists one open runway at BKI: 02/20 (3,780 m (12,402 ft), asphalt).
When did Kota Kinabalu International Airport open?
Wikidata gives 1943 as its official opening date.
How many passengers use Kota Kinabalu International Airport?
Wikidata records 1.11 million passengers for 2021, the latest year it holds.
Who operates Kota Kinabalu International Airport?
Per Wikidata, BKI is operated by Malaysia Airports.
Which airlines have a hub at BKI?
Wikidata lists BKI as a hub of AirAsia, AirBorneo, Layang Layang Aerospace, Malaysia Airlines and MASwings.
How far is BKI from Kota Kinabalu city centre?
Kota Kinabalu International Airport is about 5.4 km south-southwest of Kota Kinabalu city centre in a straight line, calculated from coordinates. The distance by road is longer.
Sources
Nothing on this page is verified by hand yet. Each section comes from the dataset below, with its date where the dataset has one. Terminal, transport and parking details are left out until they can be read from Kota Kinabalu International Airport’s own pages.
- Codes, location, time zoneOriginfacts airport record21 Jun 2026
- Official websiteWikidata record (official website property) (opens in a new tab)5 Oct 2026
- Coordinates, runways, type, elevationOurAirports (opens in a new tab) — public domain5 Oct 2026
- Opening, operator, passengers, hubsWikidata item Q645760 (opens in a new tab) — CC05 Oct 2026
- Distance to city centreCalculated from airport coordinates and the Wikidata (opens in a new tab) city-centre point—
- Nearby airportsCalculated from airport coordinates—
- Terminals and transportNot yet verified—
Background reading:Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)Wikidata (opens in a new tab)