China Southern Airlines will commence twice-weekly flights between Guangzhou and Kota Kinabalu from October 31, 2012.
The new service is welcomed by Sabah’s travel trade, as it marks the first direct connection provided by a full-fledged carrier between Kota Kinabalu and China.

Borneo Trails Sabah general manager, KL Tan, said: “The direct flights would boost arrivals from Mainland China to Sabah as they currently travel via Hong Kong and Shenzhen.”

Shangri-La’s Tanjung Aru Resort & Spa Kota Kinabalu director of sales and marketing, Suzaini Ghani, said: “These new flights will open the door to China. Eventually, we’ll also have visitors from Shanghai, Beijing and other major cities travelling to Sabah via China Southern’s hub in Guangzhou.”

China – Malaysia’s third-largest inbound market after Singapore and Indonesia – has posted a 34.2 per cent year-on-year growth in arrivals in the first six months of 2012, according to Tourism Malaysia.