Jeju Air latest route connects Busan to Kota Kinabalu

28 October 2024

KOTA KINABALU: Jeju Air has launched its newest route to Sabah, connecting Busan to Kota Kinabalu, building on the success of its existing Incheon to Kota Kinabalu service.

This new route operates six times a week: Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Thus, there are thirteen flights per week from South Korea to Kota Kinabalu.

The Busan (PUS) to Kota Kinabalu (BKI) flights depart from Gimhae International Airport at 9:00 pm and arrive at Kota Kinabalu International Airport at 1:20 am.

Datuk Seri Panglima Christina Liew, the Minister of Tourism, Culture, and Environment for Sabah, stated that this enhanced accessibility is expected to impact the influx of Korean visitors to Sabah positively.

“South Korea is the third highest source of international arrivals for Sabah, with 124,631 tourist arrivals up to August this year.

“As the months ahead mark the winter season in South Korea, Sabah could become their holiday destination with our tropical climate, which is a good opportunity for avid golfers," she enthused.

Christina expressed confidence that the Sabah tourism industry will greatly benefit from this latest flight from Busan, South Korea’s second-largest city. 

"This development will further position Sabah as a premier destination among Koreans,” she added.

The aircraft carrying 135 passengers, including cabin crews, was greeted with a water salute ceremony, marking its maiden visit.

Sabah Tourism Board Chief Executive Officer, Julinus Jeffery Jimit, shared that the frequent flyer provides mutual benefits, adding flexibility for Koreans to travel to Sabah and vice versa.

“Kota Kinabalu is a popular destination for Koreans. In addition to our stunning island, beaches, and mountains, our natural attractions and rich cultural heritage will complement visitors' experiences. This is an excellent opportunity for our industry stakeholders, for example, the hotels and tour operators to create attractive value-for-money packages for travellers” said Julinus.

An official from Jeju Air said, “With the new Malaysian route from Busan, we can provide more convenient schedules to consumers,” adding, “We will take the lead in increasing consumer benefits through differentiated services based on safe operations.”

Sabah now receives a total of 33 flights weekly from Busan and Seoul.