SANDAKAN: The Sandakan Tourism Association (STAN) calls for renewed consideration of direct flights between Sandakan and Singapore as part of efforts to strengthen Sabah’s tourism resilience and diversify international access routes in light of evolving global aviation conditions.
STAN President, Teo Chee Kim, has called for a direct air link between Sandakan and Singapore, which would provide a strategic and timely alternative route for international visitors. Singapore is one of the world’s leading aviation hubs, offering extensive connectivity to Europe, North America, and other key tourism markets.
A direct Sandakan–Singapore connection would:
Provide a more stable and reliable transit option for international travellers, especially European travellers.
Enhanced accessibility to Sandakan and the east coast of Sabah is poised to strengthen Sandakan’s position as a gateway to Borneo’s unique wildlife and ecotourism attractions, as well as support the growth of the local tourism industry.
According to Teo, many long-haul visitors to Sabah, especially Sandakan, originate from Europe, Australia, and North America, markets that often rely on major international aviation hubs such as Dubai, Doha, or Abu Dhabi before continuing to Southeast Asia.
“The evolving situation in the Middle East has raised concerns over potential disruptions, longer travel times, and uncertainties for travellers planning their trips.
Recent geopolitical developments in the Middle East, including disruptions affecting regional airspace and aviation routes, have highlighted the urgency and importance of diversifying travel corridors into Southeast Asia,” added Teo.
For destinations such as Sandakan that rely on multi-segment journeys, additional gateway options are increasingly important to ensure travel continuity and visitor confidence.
At present, Sandakan receives about 90 weekly flights, all of which are domestic connections primarily linking the destination with Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur. As a result, international travellers must typically make multiple flight connections before reaching Sandakan.
Singapore’s airport network offers extensive long-haul connectivity to Europe, Australia, and North America, providing a stable alternative transit gateway for international travellers heading to Sandakan. Establishing a Sandakan–Singapore direct route would significantly strengthen connectivity by linking the destination with one of Asia’s largest global aviation hubs.
“We are not only targeting the direct traffic between Singapore and Sandakan; we are looking at the huge potential of the transit passenger market offered by a Sandakan–Singapore direct route,” said Teo.
According to Sabah Tourism Board’s latest statistics, our tourism sector continues to demonstrate strong recovery and growth in 2025. In particular, the percentage increase in European tourist arrivals, which is Sandakan’s main source of arrival, was very encouraging: the UK & Ireland grew by 26.6%, France by 38.7%, Italy by 38.5% and Spain by 115.6%!
With passenger traffic at Sandakan Airport reaching approximately 1.18 million passengers in 2025, surpassing pre-pandemic levels, this demonstrates a strong potential for a Sandakan–Singapore route.
“Enhanced air connectivity will be instrumental in ensuring that Sandakan continues to grow as one of Southeast Asia’s leading wildlife and ecotourism destinations while strengthening Sabah’s position within the global tourism network.”
“STAN remains committed to working closely with industry partners and various authorities to strengthen Sandakan’s global connectivity and to ensure that the destination remains accessible, resilient, and welcoming to visitors from around the world.”
