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Kota Kinabalu: A new weekly charter flight connecting Guiyang, the capital of Guizhou province in southwest China, and Kota Kinabalu touched down at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) on Saturday – adding another Chinese city to Sabah’s growing air connectivity network.

Flight AQ1217, operated by Guangzhou-based 9 Air, landed at 5.50pm on April 11, inaugurating the Guiyang-Kota Kinabalu route. 

The service brings the total number of airlines flying from China to Kota Kinabalu to seven, serving nine Chinese cities.

Sabah Tourism Board Deputy Chief Executive Officer Tay Shu Lan, 9 Air Sales Director Ares Zhou and KKIA Head of Operations Hassim Duman were present at the welcoming ceremony.

Guiyang is regarded as a potential emerging outbound travel market, drawing interest from tourism stakeholders due to its expanding middle-class population in China’s inland southwest region. 

For travellers from that city, Kota Kinabalu offers access to coastal and island attractions, beaches and natural heritage sites including Mount Kinabalu and the surrounding rainforests.