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Sandakan Airport (SDK)
Departures from Sandakan Airport (SDK) at a glance
- 14flights a day12th busiest of 30 airports
- 4routes from here
- 3airlines
- 08:10 – 21:10first and last
Collected between 28 September 2026 and 11 October 2026. Not live — check with the airline before booking.
Sandakan Airport (SDK) serves Sandakan, on the east coast of Sabah. Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad (MAHB) operates it, and passengers use its one terminal. A Malaysian from West Malaysia arriving on a domestic flight from Kuala Lumpur needs a pass or permit to enter Sabah.
Sabah immigration on flights to and from Kuala Lumpur
Under Section 66 of the Immigration Act 1959/63, a Malaysian citizen is subject to having a pass or permit to enter and be in Sabah. That includes a Malaysian arriving at Sandakan on a domestic flight from Kuala Lumpur.
Immigration counters in the arrival halls of Sabah's airports issue the Document in Lieu of Internal Travel Document to Malaysians from West Malaysia, as an alternative to a Malaysian passport. It is free and valid for a single journey, and the holder may enter and remain in Sabah on a social or business visit pass for up to three months.
For a stay of more than three months, the Immigration Department issues a Restricted Travel Document to Malaysian citizens from Peninsular Malaysia, valid for five years. Sandakan is listed among the Sabah offices that issue it.
What to show for the document in lieu
Travellers aged 12 and over show an identity card, or a police or military identity card. Children under 12 show a birth or adoption certificate.
Section 66 endorsements are for posted civil servants
The Section 66 exemption endorsement is a separate stamp placed in a travel document. It is issued only by the Sabah State Immigration Department, to civil servants from Peninsular Malaysia or Sarawak serving in a federal department in Sabah, and to their dependants (wives and children under 18).
Leaving Sabah on a domestic flight
On a flight out of Sabah, such as Sandakan to Kuala Lumpur, the Immigration Department asks for one of the forms of identification below. A valid pass and a boarding pass are needed as well, the boarding pass as proof of genuine passenger status.
- a Malaysian international passport
- a Restricted Travel Document
- a Restricted Malaysian Passport (Brunei)
- a Malaysian emergency certificate
- National Registration Department identification: MyKad, a temporary identification card, a birth certificate or MyKID
- IMM93
- a BAT.C 10 armed forces card
- a police authority card
The terminal and the runway
A Ministry of Transport (MOT) project that ran from 13 April 2011 to 29 November 2014 expanded the terminal's floor area from 8,000 to 12,000 square metres. It added a new facade and roof, a new baggage handling system and check-in area, and new scanning equipment.
The same project put check-in and immigration counters in the departure and arrival areas, and glass walls at the fixed bridges. The ministry also listed facilities for disabled passengers and a fully air-conditioned terminal among the results.
The runway, 08/26, is 2,500 m long and 45 m wide, after an extension from 2,133 m.
Published aerodrome hours
The Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) gives the aerodrome's hours in its aerodrome entry for Sandakan, in the edition effective 11 August 2026, as 2300 to 1400 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) daily. On that entry the aerodrome is not listed as open around the clock.
Getting between the airport and Sandakan
The MOT puts the airport 13 km from Sandakan town. CAAM's aerodrome entry gives 9 km, measured from the Sandakan Municipal Council building to the aerodrome reference point, which is a point on the airfield.
CAAM's entry lists taxi and car rental services. Grab, the e-hailing service, lists Sandakan among the Sabah cities it serves.
Hertz lists a Sandakan Airport location. For Sepilok Orangutan Rehabilitation Centre, the Sabah Tourism Board gives a distance of 25 km from Sandakan.
Facilities listed for Sandakan Airport
CAAM's aerodrome entry lists an automated teller machine (ATM) at the airport, with a bank, a post office, a hospital, hotels and restaurants in town. It also lists a tourist office.
Malaysia Airlines' lounge page lists its Golden Lounges only at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and the Plaza Premium lounge list published for AmBank cardholders, updated 31 August 2026, names no lounge at Sandakan. Check with your airline or lounge programme before counting on lounge access here.
Airlines and destinations
Direct domestic flights recorded from Sandakan are operated by AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines and AirBorneo, to the destinations in the table below. Baggage allowances and fare conditions differ by airline and change without notice, so check the airline's own conditions of carriage before you book.
| Destination | Airport | Airlines recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Kota Kinabalu | Kota Kinabalu International Airport | AirAsia |
| Kuala Lumpur | Kuala Lumpur International Airport | AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines |
| Lahad Datu | Lahad Datu Airport | AirBorneo |
| Tawau | Tawau Airport | AirBorneo |
AirBorneo took over the MASwings services
Malaysia Aviation Group announced on 22 December 2025 that AirBorneo would assume full legal and operational responsibility for all services previously operated by MASwings from 1 January 2026. The Lahad Datu and Tawau flights in the table are recorded under AirBorneo. The release said MASwings branding might remain visible during the initial phase of the transition.
The terminal upgrade reported to start in 2027
On 5 November 2025 the Transport Minister told Parliament that the ministry was in talks with MAHB on upgrading Sandakan Airport. The proposed works included adding aerobridges and possibly expanding the arrival hall, which he said would be funded from the Airport Development Fund.
On 14 September 2026 the Daily Express reported the new airport manager, Muhammad Irfan Mohd Noor, as saying the proposed works include two additional passenger boarding bridges, reconfigured departure and arrival halls, an upgraded air-conditioning system and e-gates at the immigration counters. He said the works were expected to start in early 2027.
That start date is the airport manager's expectation as reported. MAHB's five-year capital spending release of 4 June 2026 does not mention Sandakan.
What catches people out at Sandakan Airport
A flight from Kuala Lumpur is domestic, but a Malaysian from West Malaysia still needs a pass or permit to enter Sabah. The Immigration Department names a Malaysian passport, a Restricted Travel Document and the free document in lieu from the immigration counter in the arrival hall as documents that cover it.
CAAM's aerodrome entry, in its 11 August 2026 edition, gives the aerodrome's hours as 2300 to 1400 UTC daily, so the aerodrome is not listed as open around the clock. Check timings with the airline before planning a tight connection.
Neither Malaysia Airlines' lounge list nor the Plaza Premium list published for AmBank cardholders includes Sandakan, so do not count on lounge access here unless your airline confirms it.
Frequently asked questions about Sandakan Airport
Does a West Malaysian need a passport to fly from Kuala Lumpur to Sandakan?
Not necessarily: a Malaysian passport is one option. Under Section 66 a Malaysian citizen needs a pass or permit to enter Sabah, and the immigration counters in the arrival halls of Sabah's airports issue a free, single-journey document in lieu to Malaysians from West Malaysia. Applicants show an identity card at 12 and over, or a birth or adoption certificate under 12, and the holder may stay on a social or business visit pass of up to three months.
Is Sandakan Airport open 24 hours?
CAAM's aerodrome entry, in its 11 August 2026 edition, gives the aerodrome's hours as 2300 to 1400 UTC daily, so Sandakan is not listed as a 24-hour airport. Check timings with the airline before planning a tight connection.
Does Sandakan Airport have a lounge?
Malaysia Airlines lists its Golden Lounges only at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, and the Plaza Premium lounge list published for AmBank cardholders, updated 31 August 2026, names no lounge at Sandakan. Confirm with your airline or lounge programme before counting on one.
Does AirBorneo fly from Sandakan Airport?
Yes: AirBorneo is recorded on the Lahad Datu and Tawau routes from Sandakan. Malaysia Aviation Group announced on 22 December 2025 that AirBorneo would assume responsibility for all services previously operated by MASwings from 1 January 2026.
When will the Sandakan Airport upgrade start?
The Daily Express reported on 14 September 2026 that the airport manager expected work to start in early 2027. The proposed works include two additional passenger boarding bridges, reconfigured departure and arrival halls, upgraded air-conditioning and e-gates at the immigration counters.