Overview
Kudat is a city on the island of Sabah, which is surrounded on two sides by the sea. The South China Sea hugs the west side of the island while the eastern side is the Sulu Sea. There are many golf courses and beach resorts being built which have encouraged tourists to visit and the best way of course is by air. The town was founded in 1881 and is home to Borneo’s oldest golf course.
The airport is publicly owned and operated by Malaysia Airports Berhad.
History
Kudat Airport is built partly on the site of the old military airfield. In World War II using forced labour from Java as well as local men the Japanese Imperial Army built an airfield. It was originally built using coral stones as a base for the runway but these couldn’t withstand the bombing in 1945 by B52 bombers and eventually became too damaged to use.
Terminals
The green painted wooden terminal is small and functional. It is set in neatly maintained gardens and has the basic facilities such as toilets but not much else.
Flights and Destinations
Malaysia Airlines and MASWings both have flights to Sandakan and Kota Kinambalu.
Transport To and From the Airport
The main town centre of Kudat is about 8 kilometres from the airport.
There are taxis available at the airport or car hire can be arranged. Some of the hotels offer airport collections and quite often the owners of private rental villas will come to the airport to collect you.
In the centre of Kudat if you need a taxi there are licensed saloon cars and four-wheel drive vehicles for hire. Find Kampung Air and the taxis are here near the Indian Restaurant.