August 15, 2025 – AirAsia Malaysia (flight code AK) celebrated the launch of its inaugural fifth-freedom route, connecting Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia, to Fukuoka, Japan, via Taipei, Taiwan. The maiden flight from Taipei to Fukuoka achieved a 100% load factor, while the return flight to Taipei boasted over 80% occupancy, marking AirAsia’s entry into the Japanese market and significantly boosting regional connectivity.

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Flight AK1510 departed Kota Kinabalu International Airport at 7:40 AM on August 15, 2025, arriving at Fukuoka International Airport at 3:15 PM local time. Dato’ Captain Fareh Mazputra, CEO of AirAsia Malaysia, and the flight crew greeted passengers during a technical stop in Taipei, commemorating this significant milestone. This new route underscores AirAsia’s commitment to strengthening Sabah’s connectivity and establishing Kota Kinabalu as a key regional hub, facilitating travel beyond ASEAN for Sabah residents and opening Fukuoka to travelers from Taipei.

Bruce Chen Ph.D., Consul General of the Taipei Economic and Cultural Office in Fukuoka, expressed his congratulations, stating, “This new service not only enhances the convenience of travel between Japan and Taiwan but also offers excellent connectivity between East Asia and Southeast Asia on a daily basis. I am confident that this will further promote tourism, business, and cultural exchange across the three cities and their respective regions.”

Dato’ Captain Fareh Mazputra emphasized AirAsia’s commitment, saying, “This route reflects our continued commitment to growing Kota Kinabalu as a strategic hub and provides greater travel flexibility for our guests across the region. We are confident that this new connectivity will stimulate tourism and business opportunities between Kota Kinabalu, Taipei, and Fukuoka, while offering our guests more value and convenience at affordable fares.”

Shinji Tagawa, Representative Director and President & CEO of Fukuoka International Airport Co., Ltd., welcomed AirAsia’s decision, highlighting Fukuoka’s ongoing development as an international hub with terminal expansion and a second runway. He stated, “This new route will offer a new travel option not only for passengers in the destination cities but also for people in Fukuoka and across Kyushu. We expect it will contribute to stronger ties in tourism, business, culture, education, and many other fields.”

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Syaliza Abd. Aziz, Director of Tourism Malaysia in Japan, also offered congratulations, emphasizing the route’s role in strengthening ties between Japan and Malaysia and fostering cultural exchange and tourism. She noted the timely launch in anticipation of Visit Malaysia 2026.

AirAsia Malaysia will operate daily flights on this route using Airbus A320 family narrow-body aircraft (including A320neo), offering a maximum capacity of 186 seats, including 42 Hot Seats. The airline is offering competitive fares: one-way flights from Kota Kinabalu to Fukuoka start from RM679*, Taipei to Fukuoka from TWD2,990*, Fukuoka to Kota Kinabalu from JPY23,990*, and Fukuoka to Taipei from JPY15,900*.

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This new route represents a significant expansion for AirAsia, strengthening its position in the region and offering travelers enhanced connectivity and affordable options between East Asia and Southeast Asia. The strong initial passenger numbers demonstrate the high demand for this service and its potential to significantly boost tourism and economic exchange between Kota Kinabalu, Taipei, and Fukuoka.

*All-in one-way fares.