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Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (KBR)
Departures from Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (KBR) at a glance
- 31flights a day9th busiest of 30 airports
- 3routes from here
- 4airlines
- 08:30 – 21:20first and last
Collected 28 September 2026. Not live — check with the airline before booking.
Sultan Ismail Petra Airport (KBR) serves the city of Kota Bharu and the state of Kelantan. It is also called Kota Bharu Airport, including by Malaysia Airports, which runs it, and in Malay it is Lapangan Terbang Sultan Ismail Petra (LTSIP). It sits at Pengkalan Chepa, 8 km north-east of the Telecom Tower in Kota Bharu, and has one passenger terminal.
A new, larger terminal opened in stages: the first phase on 1 May 2024, the main terminal building and departure hall on 19 February 2026, full operation of the expanded terminal on 16 March 2026, and the official opening on 18 April 2026. The runway comes next, with an extension from 2,400 m to 2,800 m under way that the Transport Minister said on 18 April 2026 should be finished by the end of 2027.
The aerodrome entry published by the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), in its Aeronautical Information Regulation and Control (AIRAC) edition of 6 August 2026, gives the airport operator's hours as 23:30 to 14:30 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) daily, which is 07:30 to 22:30 Malaysia time. Those are not round-the-clock hours, so before an early start or a late connection, check with your airline or Malaysia Airports.
Sultan Ismail Petra Airport at a glance
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| International Air Transport Association (IATA) code | KBR |
| International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) code | WMKC |
| Operator | Malaysia Airports |
| Address | Pengkalan Chepa, 16100 Kota Bharu, Kelantan |
| Distance | 8 km from the Telecom Tower, Kota Bharu |
| Airport operator's hours | 07:30 to 22:30 Malaysia time daily (23:30 to 14:30 UTC) |
| Passenger terminals | One: departures on the upper level, arrivals on the lower level |
| Terminal floor area | 36,000 square metres, up from 12,000 |
| Terminal capacity | 4 million passengers a year, up from 1.5 million |
| Runway | One, designated 10/28, 2,400 m long and 45 m wide, asphalt; extension to 2,800 m under way |
| Elevation | 5 m (16 ft) |
| Car park | Multi-storey, 1,300 bays |
The new terminal, opened in stages
The first phase of the new terminal began operating on 1 May 2024. The main terminal building and departure hall came into use on 19 February 2026, with arrivals on the lower level, while full operation was held back by problems with the baggage conveyor system. The Transport Minister announced full operation of the expanded terminal from 16 March 2026, and the Prime Minister officially opened it on 18 April 2026.
According to the Ministry of Transport's statement of 18 April 2026, the floor area went from 12,000 to 36,000 square metres, almost three times the old terminal, and capacity rose from 1.5 million to 4 million passengers a year. The ministry also lists separate departure and arrival levels, more check-in counters and baggage-handling facilities, the 1,300-bay multi-storey car park, and a traffic layout with dedicated lanes for buses, taxis and e-hailing.
Departures are on the upper level, with aerobridges to the aircraft, and arrivals are on the lower level. Aircraft parking bays went from five to eleven.
The runway extension to 2,800 m
The project includes lengthening the single runway from 2,400 m to 2,800 m, which the Ministry of Transport says is meant to let aircraft such as the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A321neo operate and to open up short-haul international flying. The Transport Minister said on 18 April 2026 that the extension should be complete by the end of 2027. CAAM's aerodrome entry (the AIRAC edition of 6 August 2026) still lists the runway at 2,400 m.
Airlines and destinations from Kota Bharu
Direct domestic flights recorded from Sultan Ismail Petra Airport are operated by AirAsia, Firefly, Malaysia Airlines and Batik Air Malaysia, and go to:
| Destination | Airport | Airlines recorded |
|---|---|---|
| Kuala Lumpur | Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL) | AirAsia, Firefly, Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air Malaysia |
| Kuala Lumpur (Subang) | Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport (SZB) | Firefly, Batik Air Malaysia |
| Penang | Penang International Airport (PEN) | Firefly |
| Johor Bahru | Senai International Airport (JHB) | AirAsia |
Flights to Kuala Lumpur are recorded to two different airports, Kuala Lumpur International Airport and Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport at Subang, so check which one your ticket names before you arrange onward travel. The Ministry of Transport names Kota Bharu to Kuala Lumpur as the domestic route driving demand at the airport.
Getting to and from the airport
Bus route D12
BAS.MY Kota Bharu route D12 runs between Kota Bharu and Sabak by way of the airport. It is operated under the BAS.MY Kota Bharu programme by Konsortium E-Mutiara Berhad.
Taxis, e-hailing and parking
The new traffic layout has dedicated lanes for buses, taxis and e-hailing, and CAAM's aerodrome entry lists bus, coach, limousine and taxi services. Drivers can use the multi-storey car park, which has 1,300 bays.
Onward to the Perhentian Islands
The Besut District Council names Kuala Besut, in Terengganu, as the main mainland jetty terminal for Pulau Perhentian, which lies about 20 km from Kuala Besut. Jeti Tok Bali, on the Kelantan side, is another departure point, where NASROM Travel & Tours runs speedboats to the islands. Plan the transfer from the airport to your jetty before you fly.
NASROM, which runs the Tok Bali speedboats, says that from roughly November to February sailings depend on the weather and many of the island resorts close. Check both before booking a flight for a Perhentian trip in those months.
The northeast monsoon, November to March
MetMalaysia, the government weather service, says heavy rain in the northeast monsoon, from November to March, often causes large floods in the east coast states, Kelantan among them, and brings strong winds and rough seas in the South China Sea. Allow extra time for the road to and from the airport in those months, and check your airline's advice if the weather turns.
Passenger numbers
The Transport Minister gave the airport's 2025 total as 1.7 million passengers, up 16.2 per cent on 2024, when announcing the terminal's full operation in March 2026. The Ministry of Transport says traffic has already passed the old terminal's capacity of 1.5 million a year.
Malaysia Airports reported 562,081 passenger movements from January to April 2026, up 3.9 per cent on the same period a year earlier, with 131,099 in April 2026 alone. Of the January to April total, 4,562 were international passengers.
In the terminal, and medical help nearby
CAAM's aerodrome entry lists a restaurant and a cash machine in the terminal building. Firefly has an airport ticket office at Sultan Ismail Petra Airport, open 07:00 to 21:00.
For medical help, the same entry lists a health clinic at Pengkalan Chepa, 2 km away, and the main hospital in Kota Bharu, 8 km away.
Frequently asked questions about Sultan Ismail Petra Airport
Is Kota Bharu Airport the same as Sultan Ismail Petra Airport?
Yes. Sultan Ismail Petra Airport is the official name, Lapangan Terbang Sultan Ismail Petra in Malay, and Malaysia Airports, which runs it, also calls it Kota Bharu Airport. Its code is KBR.
How far is Sultan Ismail Petra Airport from Kota Bharu?
CAAM's aerodrome entry puts the airport at Pengkalan Chepa, 8 km from the Telecom Tower in Kota Bharu. BAS.MY Kota Bharu route D12 runs via the airport, and the new traffic layout has dedicated lanes for taxis and e-hailing.
Is the new terminal at Sultan Ismail Petra Airport open?
Yes. The expanded terminal has been in full operation since 16 March 2026 and was officially opened on 18 April 2026. Its first phase began operating on 1 May 2024, and its main building and departure hall came into use on 19 February 2026.
When will the runway extension at Sultan Ismail Petra Airport be finished?
The Transport Minister said on 18 April 2026 that the extension from 2,400 m to 2,800 m should be complete by the end of 2027. The Ministry of Transport says the longer runway is meant to take aircraft such as the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A321neo.
Where do boats to the Perhentian Islands leave from if I fly into Kota Bharu Airport?
Boats to the islands leave from Kuala Besut in Terengganu, which the Besut District Council names as the main mainland jetty terminal, and also from Jeti Tok Bali in Kelantan, where NASROM Travel & Tours runs speedboats. Plan the transfer from the airport to the jetty separately. NASROM says that between roughly November and February sailings depend on the weather and many island resorts close.
Which airlines fly domestic routes from Sultan Ismail Petra Airport?
Direct domestic flights from the airport are recorded with AirAsia, Firefly, Malaysia Airlines and Batik Air Malaysia, to Kuala Lumpur International Airport, Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport at Subang, Penang and Johor Bahru. Firefly is recorded on the Penang route and AirAsia on the Johor Bahru route.