Hong Kong’s sole low-cost carrier HK Express has inaugurated daily direct flights between Kota Kinabalu, Sabah and Hong Kong today (27 November), strengthening connectivity between Malaysia’s Borneo hub and the SAR. The Airbus A320-family service departs Kota Kinabalu in the early afternoon and returns from Hong Kong in the morning, enabling convenient two-night weekend itineraries for leisure travellers and short-haul business trips.
The new route means HK Express now operates 21 weekly flights linking Hong Kong with three Malaysian cities—Penang, Subang (Kuala Lumpur) and Kota Kinabalu. Fares start at MYR 218 (about HKD 360) one-way under an introductory promotion running until 3 December. The airline positions the service as an affordable gateway for Hong Kong residents seeking nature-based getaways and for Sabah entrepreneurs attending trade fairs in the SAR.
![HK Express Launches Daily Kota Kinabalu–Hong Kong Service]()
From a corporate mobility standpoint, the link offers exporters of seafood, timber products and palm-oil derivatives a same-day air-cargo option into Hong Kong’s logistics ecosystem. It also dovetails with Sabah state’s push to attract high-yield ecotourism and convention traffic by leveraging the low-cost carrier model.
HK Express CEO Jeanette Mao said the carrier would evaluate adding capacity during the summer peak and is studying secondary Indonesian routes such as Surabaya and Medan to deepen its Southeast Asian footprint. The airline’s growth aligns with Hong Kong International Airport’s strategy of diversifying traffic sources amid intensifying competition from regional hubs.
Passengers on the Kota Kinabalu flights can use HKIA’s smart-gate pre-enrolment scheme, allowing eligible travellers to clear immigration in under one minute. For mobility teams managing regional assignees, the daily service cuts travel time by two hours compared with previous one-stop itineraries via Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.
The new route means HK Express now operates 21 weekly flights linking Hong Kong with three Malaysian cities—Penang, Subang (Kuala Lumpur) and Kota Kinabalu. Fares start at MYR 218 (about HKD 360) one-way under an introductory promotion running until 3 December. The airline positions the service as an affordable gateway for Hong Kong residents seeking nature-based getaways and for Sabah entrepreneurs attending trade fairs in the SAR.
From a corporate mobility standpoint, the link offers exporters of seafood, timber products and palm-oil derivatives a same-day air-cargo option into Hong Kong’s logistics ecosystem. It also dovetails with Sabah state’s push to attract high-yield ecotourism and convention traffic by leveraging the low-cost carrier model.
HK Express CEO Jeanette Mao said the carrier would evaluate adding capacity during the summer peak and is studying secondary Indonesian routes such as Surabaya and Medan to deepen its Southeast Asian footprint. The airline’s growth aligns with Hong Kong International Airport’s strategy of diversifying traffic sources amid intensifying competition from regional hubs.
Passengers on the Kota Kinabalu flights can use HKIA’s smart-gate pre-enrolment scheme, allowing eligible travellers to clear immigration in under one minute. For mobility teams managing regional assignees, the daily service cuts travel time by two hours compared with previous one-stop itineraries via Kuala Lumpur or Singapore.
