Air Asia Restores Cebu to Kota Kinabalu Flights

Passengers in the Visayas will have one more destination in Malaysia to visit when AirAsia reconnects Cebu to Kota Kinabalu with four weekly flights. The flights, which will be operated by AirAsia Philippines, will depart every Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday.

Copyright Photo: Angelo Agcamaran/PPSG

AirAsia Philippines will be utilizing its Airbus A320 fleet to operate the route, which is set to commence on March 27, 2015. When the new service launches, it will be the only direct flight between the two cities. To celebrate the launch of the route, AirAsia is offering promotional fares from as low as P699 each-way. 

According to Joy Cañeba, CEO of AirAsia Philippines, the budget carrier is concentrating on developing hubs outside of Manila. "Part of our commitment is to build connectivity outside Metro Manila," said Cañeba. "We picked Cebu because it's bustling with activities and the traffic from Southern Philippines is growing rapidly. We're thrilled to re-open the Cebu-Kota Kinabalu route to provide the much needed connectivity at affordable fares for Cebuanos and overseas Filipino workers."

In addition to being one of the most highly developed cities in the Philippines, Cebu is home to a thriving shipping, trade, education, and commerce hub. The Mactan-Cebu International Airport is one of the busiest airports in the country with plans to expand further under the management of the GMR-Megawide consortium. As capacity at the airport grows, the airport could become a new transit hub in the Philippines, enabling passengers to avoid the congested Ninoy Aquino International Airport in Manila. AirAsia is not the only budget carrier growing at the airport. Cebu Pacific will be introducing non-stop service from Cebu to Tokyo Narita on March 26.

Cebu is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country known for its affordable hotels, culinary, and cultural attractions. "Cebu and Kota Kinabalu are wonderful places for adventure and outdoor sports," added Cañeba. "Every visitor would be delighted to know that Cebu has one of the most accessible beaches, resorts, entertainment, shopping, and food districts."

AirAsia Philippines also flies from Manila to Kota Kinabalu every Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. Kota Kinabalu will become AirAsia's third international destination from Cebu after Seoul Incheon and Kuala Lumpur. AirAsia is the largest low-cost airline in Asia and has been voted the World's Best Low Cost Airline for the past six years at the annual World Airline Awards. 

AirAsia Philippines currently operates a fleet of fifteen aircraft to a number of domestic and international destinations. AirAsia recently introduced non-stop service from Cebu to Davao. The carrier also flies non-stop from Cebu to Manila and Cagayan de Oro.