Tawau Airport (TWU)

Departures from Tawau Airport (TWU) at a glance

• 19flights a day10th busiest of 30 airports
• 4routes from here
• 4airlines
• 07:45 – 21:30first and last00061218

Collected 28 September 2026. Not live — check with the airline before booking.

Tawau Airport (TWU) is on the east coast of Sabah, north-east of Tawau town, and Malaysia Airports operates it. Domestic and international passengers pass through the same terminal. According to the Sabah Tourism Board, visitors to Semporna and the dive islands beyond it usually fly into Tawau and take a taxi from the airport.

Where Tawau Airport is, and who runs it

Tawau Airport is north-east of Tawau town, and the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) places it 25.78 km in a straight line from a reference point in Tawau, so the drive into town is longer than that. CAAM's aeronautical publication names the aerodrome operator as Malaysia Airports Sdn. Bhd. The Sabah Tourism Board describes Tawau as the third largest town in Sabah, in a district that shares a border with North Kalimantan in Indonesia.

Runway 06/24 is 2,685 m long and 47 m wide, with an asphalt surface. The same publication lists the aerodrome's daily operating hours, and customs, immigration and health services work to those same hours, which do not run round the clock.

Airlines and destinations at Tawau Airport

Direct domestic flights recorded from Tawau are operated by AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, AirBorneo and Batik Air Malaysia, and go to the destinations below. Baggage allowances and fare conditions differ by carrier and change without notice, so check the airline's own conditions of carriage before you book.

Destination	Airport	Airlines recorded
Johor Bahru	Senai International Airport	AirAsia
Kota Kinabalu	Kota Kinabalu International Airport	AirAsia, Batik Air Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur	Kuala Lumpur International Airport	AirAsia, Malaysia Airlines, Batik Air Malaysia
Sandakan	Sandakan Airport	AirBorneo

AirBorneo on the Sandakan route

AirBorneo, the airline recorded on the Sandakan route, assumed full legal and operational responsibility for all services previously operated by MASwings from 1 January 2026. Malaysia Aviation Group announced the change on 22 December 2025.

Flying in from Kuala Lumpur or Johor Bahru: Sabah immigration for Malaysians

Kuala Lumpur and Johor Bahru are in Peninsular Malaysia, so a flight from either to Tawau enters Sabah from outside the state, and Sabah's entry rule applies to Malaysian citizens on it. Under Section 66 of the Immigration Act, a citizen is subject to having a pass or permit to enter and be in Sabah.

Immigration counters in the arrival halls at Sabah's airports issue a document in lieu of an internal travel document to Malaysian citizens from West Malaysia, as an alternative to a passport or a Restricted Travel Document. The Immigration Department states that no payment is required for it.

What the document in lieu covers

It is valid for a single journey and covers a social or business visit of up to three months. Travellers aged 12 and over apply with an identity card, and children under 12 with a birth or adoption certificate. For a stay in Sabah of more than three months, the Immigration Department issues a Restricted Travel Document, valid for five years.

The Section 66 exemption endorsement is issued in Sabah

Civil servants from Peninsular Malaysia or Sarawak serving in a Federal department in Sabah can hold a Section 66 exemption endorsement, and so can their spouse and children under 18 living with them in Sabah. The endorsement is a stamp in the holder's travel document, it is only issued by the Sabah State Immigration Department, and no fee is charged.

Flying back to Peninsular Malaysia from Tawau

A Malaysian passenger leaving Sabah on a domestic flight needs one identity document from the Immigration Department's list, a valid pass or endorsement where one applies, and a boarding pass. The identity documents on that list include:

• a Malaysian international passport
• a Restricted Travel Document
• a Restricted Passport (Brunei)
• a Malaysian emergency certificate
• MyKad, a temporary identification card, a birth certificate or MyKid
• IMM93
• an armed forces card
• a police card

The terminal at Tawau Airport

CAAM's aeronautical publication lists an airport restaurant and a cash machine at the airport, with hotels and the hospital in Tawau town. Free wifi, shops, a currency exchange counter and a left-luggage service are also reported in the terminal. Check their hours locally before relying on any of them for a late arrival.

On 26 September 2025 the Transport Minister said immigration checks for domestic and international flights were conducted in the same area, which caused confusion. Separate immigration areas for domestic and international flights are part of the terminal upgrade described below.

Getting between Tawau Airport and Tawau town

CAAM lists taxi services at the airport, and the taxis are reported to work on a coupon system. Grab lists Tawau among the Malaysian towns where its e-hailing service operates. For drivers, there is an open-air car park.

Onward from Tawau Airport to Semporna and the islands

The Sabah Tourism Board says visitors usually fly to Tawau and book an airport taxi to Semporna town, which it puts 81.7 km from Tawau town. Dive operators and agents give the drive from the airport as around 80 to 90 minutes by car. Scuba Junkie puts the same journey at around two hours by public transport.

Transfers described by dive operators and agents

• Scuba Junkie arranges a private shuttle from Tawau Airport on request, with the driver waiting at arrivals holding a name sign.
• Asia Dive Holidays, the travel agent associated with Mabul.com, describes a land transfer of about 1 hour 20 minutes, then a speedboat of about 45 minutes, depending on the tide, from Semporna's public tourist jetty (Jeti Pelancongan).
• Sipadan Diving, whose packages are operated by Remarkable Borneo Travel & Tours Sdn Bhd, gives 90 minutes by road to Semporna and 45 to 60 minutes by boat to the resort.

Shared minivans to Semporna are reported to leave from the Sabindo Square area of Tawau town when they are full, with some waiting outside the airport. If you are booked with a resort or dive operator, ask whether it arranges the road transfer before you land.

Sipadan permits and closures

Sipadan Island is managed by Sabah Parks and lies about 45 minutes from Semporna town by speedboat in calm seas. A permit is required, and the Sabah Tourism Board states that permits can only be obtained through licensed tour operators registered with Sabah Parks. The Sabah Tourism Board says the island closes to tourists for a month each year for conservation, but published dates differ on which month, so confirm the closure with your operator.

The Tawau Airport terminal upgrade, due in 2028

The Transport Minister announced the upgrade on 7 October 2024, saying Tawau had handled 1.71 million passengers in 2023, above its design capacity of 1.5 million a year. The announcement said the terminal floor area would grow from 15,800 to 23,500 square metres, and check-in counters from 12 to 20. Capacity is to rise to 2.5 million passengers a year.

Pembinaan Azam Jaya Sdn Bhd, a Sabah company, won the design-and-build contract in August 2025, and the groundbreaking was on 26 September 2025. The scope includes new aerobridges, apron improvements and upgraded air-conditioning, check-in counters and toilets, with separate immigration areas for domestic and international flights. At the groundbreaking the Transport Ministry said the airport would stay open and the works would be carried out in phases.

The contractor gave August 2028 for completion. On 9 March 2026 the Deputy Transport Minister put completion at September 2028. On 8 July 2026 the Deputy Transport Minister told Parliament that works were already under way.

What catches people out at Tawau Airport

• Boat timings to the islands. Scuba Junkie advises landing at Tawau by around midday for its afternoon boat, and Asia Dive Holidays gives early afternoon for its last scheduled transfers. Sipadan Diving says very few inbound flights land early enough for its first boat, so it recommends arriving in Tawau the night before.
• The flight home after diving. Sipadan Diving advises that flights out of Tawau should leave no earlier than late afternoon on the day after your last dive.
• A shared immigration area. As of September 2025, immigration checks for domestic and international flights took place in the same area, which the Transport Minister said caused confusion.
• Hours that do not run round the clock. CAAM lists set daily operating hours for the aerodrome and for customs and immigration, so check them before planning an overnight connection.
• Documents on a domestic flight. A Malaysian citizen flying in from Kuala Lumpur or Johor Bahru is subject to Sabah's pass or permit rule, and a Malaysian passenger flying back out of Sabah needs one of the listed identity documents as well as a boarding pass.

Tawau Airport: common questions

Is Tawau Airport open 24 hours?

It is not listed as a 24-hour airport. CAAM's aeronautical publication gives Tawau Airport set daily operating hours, and customs, immigration and health services work to the same hours.

How do I get from Tawau Airport to Semporna?

By road: the Sabah Tourism Board says visitors usually take a taxi from Tawau Airport, and dive operators and agents put the drive at around 80 to 90 minutes. Some dive operators and travel agents, such as Scuba Junkie and Asia Dive Holidays, arrange transfers from the airport, and shared minivans are reported to leave from the Sabindo Square area of Tawau town when full. Scuba Junkie advises landing by around midday, and Asia Dive Holidays by early afternoon, if you want a same-day boat to the islands.

Do Malaysians flying from Kuala Lumpur to Tawau need a passport?

Malaysians from West Malaysia can enter Sabah without one. Immigration counters in the arrival halls at Sabah's airports issue them a free document in lieu of an internal travel document, on an identity card from age 12 or a birth or adoption certificate under 12, covering a social or business visit of up to three months. Stays of more than three months call for a Restricted Travel Document.

Which airline flies from Tawau Airport to Sandakan?

AirBorneo is the airline recorded on the Tawau to Sandakan route. It took over all services previously operated by MASwings from 1 January 2026.

When will the Tawau Airport upgrade be finished?

On 9 March 2026 the Deputy Transport Minister gave September 2028, and the contractor has given August 2028. The groundbreaking was on 26 September 2025, and the Transport Ministry said then that the airport would stay open while the works were carried out in phases. The Deputy Transport Minister told Parliament on 8 July 2026 that works were already under way.

Do I need a permit to dive Sipadan from Tawau?

Yes. According to the Sabah Tourism Board, permits can only be obtained through licensed tour operators registered with Sabah Parks, so arrange yours through one before you fly into Tawau.