Kota Kinabalu International Airport (KKIA) (IATA: BKI, ICAO: WBKK) serves the city of Kota Kinabalu, the state capital of Sabah, Malaysia. It is located about 8 km southwest of the city centre. It is the second busiest airport in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur International Airport, handling 5.8 million passengers in 2011. It is the main international gateway into the state of Sabah and, more generally, the island of Borneo. The new Terminal 1 building has 64 check-in counters for international and domestic flights, as well as 17 aircraft parking bays capable of accommodating both wide and narrow-body aircraft. The terminal building can handle up to 3,200 passengers at any given time.

The Departure Hall column head design is inspired by the ‘Wakid’ basket design. A ‘Wakid’ is, in Sabahan tradition, a symbol of preparing for a meaningful journey. Some ethnic patterns of the Rungus and Bajau ethnic groups are also incorporated into the design of the floor tiles. The floor size at Level 1 is 24,128 sqm, Level 2 is 18,511.4 sqm and Level 3 is 22,339 sqm, providing sufficient space for all passengers. The new terminal has also been configured with 12 aerobridges.