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KBRWMKC

Sultan Ismail Petra Airport

Kota Bharu, MY

Airportist Score

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KBRWMKCNormal

Sultan Ismail Petra Airport

Kota Bharu, Malaysia · Asia

Kelantan’s upgraded Kota Bharu gateway — expanded terminal fully operational from **16 Mar 2026** (capacity **4M** pax) with **AirAsia**, **Firefly**, **Batik Air Malaysia**, **Malaysia Airlines** and **Scoot** banks including **SIN** international — no Priority Pass lounge verified on research day; taxis/e-hailing on dedicated curb lanes.

Airportist Score

6.3/ 10

Mixed

Ease of use7.0
Comfort & amenities6.2
Food & retail5.6
Ground access6.6
Reliability6.6
Lounges4.4

How the score works

An editorial 0–10 score. The overall is exactly the weighted sum of six traveler categories — not a Google rating and not a poll.

25%Ease of use — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
20%Comfort & amenities — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
15%Food & retail — Food and retail quality and variety.
15%Ground access — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
15%Reliability — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
10%Lounges — Worth-it density and access quality.

Compare KBR with another airport

Arrive

Security

Fastest

Cheapest

Lounges

On time

KBRGuide

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Nearby airports

All airports Official site

KBRWMKCNormal

Sultan Ismail Petra Airport

Kota Bharu, Malaysia · Asia

Kelantan’s upgraded Kota Bharu gateway — expanded terminal fully operational from **16 Mar 2026** (capacity **4M** pax) with **AirAsia**, **Firefly**, **Batik Air Malaysia**, **Malaysia Airlines** and **Scoot** banks including **SIN** international — no Priority Pass lounge verified on research day; taxis/e-hailing on dedicated curb lanes.

Airportist Score

6.3/ 10

Mixed

Ease of use7.0
Comfort & amenities6.2
Food & retail5.6
Ground access6.6
Reliability6.6
Lounges4.4

How the score works

An editorial 0–10 score. The overall is exactly the weighted sum of six traveler categories — not a Google rating and not a poll.

25%Ease of use — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.
20%Comfort & amenities — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.
15%Food & retail — Food and retail quality and variety.
15%Ground access — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.
15%Reliability — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.
10%Lounges — Worth-it density and access quality.

Compare KBR with another airport

Cheapest to city
Taxi / e-hailing to Kota Bharu
confirm live MYR · short hop — confirm live
Terminals
Expanded main terminal (full ops from 16 Mar 2026)

Alternatives

Nearby airports

Passenger airports within about 150 km. Scored airports show their Airportist Score so you can weigh a switch.

Compare KBR vs TGG

ZLWPasir Gudang Port Airport
Pasir Gudang
34 km
NAWNarathiwat Airport
Narathiwat
72 km
RDNRedang Airport
Redang
91 km
TGGSultan Mahmud Airport
Kuala Terengganu
125 km
PANPattani Airport
Pattani
143 km

ZLWPasir Gudang Port Airport
Pasir Gudang
34 km
NAWNarathiwat Airport
Narathiwat
72 km
RDNRedang Airport
Redang
91 km
TGGSultan Mahmud Airport
Kuala Terengganu
5.8125 km
PANPattani Airport
Pattani
143 km

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KBRGuide

KBRGuide

Most important tips

Know before you go

A compact traveler cheat sheet for timing, terminals, food, and disruption checks.

Expansion

Full ops from 16 Mar 2026

Transport Minister: expanded terminal fully operational 16 Mar 2026; capacity 1.5M→4M.

Upper departures with aerobridges; arrivals lower level.

Flow

Separated departure / arrival levels

Post-expansion kerbside lanes for taxis, buses and e-hailing.

Follow new wayfinding — layout changed with the rebuild.

Airside

Expanded F&B — no verified PP lounge

Larger terminal F&B footprint expected; no Priority Pass product verified.

Do not invent Plaza Premium or bottle prices.

Banks

Domestic core + SIN international

KUL/SZB/PEN/JHB domestic framing plus Scoot SIN; AirAsia CGK framing confirm live.

International still thinner than domestic — check day-of.

Live conditions

Right now at KBR

Security waits and operational status from official feeds, where the airport publishes them.

Honest verdict

Who this airport works for

Best for

AirAsia / Firefly / MH / Batik domestic into Kelantan east-coast islands
Scoot / AirAsia international pins (SIN + CGK framing — confirm live)
Travelers using the expanded upper-departures / lower-arrivals layout

Watch out for

No Priority Pass lounge verified on research day
International banks thin vs domestic KUL/SZB — confirm live SIN/CGK
Post-expansion wayfinding still settling — follow new curb lanes
No published MCT

Airportist Score

Why this score

Overall is the published weighted sum of six categories. No holistic fudge on top.

Ease of use · 25%

Wayfinding, security wait, and layout.

7.0

Comfort & amenities · 20%

Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet.

6.2

Food & retail · 15%

Food and retail quality and variety.

5.6

Ground access · 15%

Transit, taxi, and parking to the city.

6.6

Reliability · 15%

Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience.

6.6

Lounges · 10%

Worth-it density and access quality.

4.4

Key stats

Editorial reference figures, not live readings.

Terminals

Expanded main terminal (full ops from 16 Mar 2026)

Guide quick facts

From the editorial guide for KBR.

Updated Sep 25, 2026

IATA KBR / ICAO WMKC — Sultan Ismail Petra, Kota Bharu / Pengkalan Chepa
GPS 6.167256, 102.292209 · Kelantan, Malaysia
Expanded terminal full ops from 16 Mar 2026 — capacity 4M pax framing
Airlines: AirAsia · Firefly · Batik Air Malaysia · Malaysia Airlines · Scoot (SIN) — confirm live CGK
Ground: dedicated taxi / bus / e-hailing curb lanes post-expansion
No Priority Pass lounge on research day · No official MCT — omitted

3 official sources

https://www.malaysiaairports.com.my/
https://www.thestar.com.my/news/nation/2026/03/15/sultan-ismail-petra-airport-to-start-full-operation-tomorrow-after-expansion-works
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sultan_Ismail_Petra_Airport

Full guide

Explore the KBR guide

Each section answers one trip question in depth.

Getting There
3 ways into the city, compared on time, cost, and luggage.
Cheapest: Taxi / e-hailing to Kota Bharu
View Getting There
Lounges
No Priority Pass product verified on research day.
View Lounges
Traveler Tips
Follow new upper-departures / lower-arrivals wayfinding.
6 tips & hacks
View Traveler Tips
Amenities
3 rated amenities — food, Wi-Fi, quiet spots, family, and sleep.
Expanded 2026 terminal (4M pax)Multi-storey parking (~1,300 bays)Dedicated taxi / e-hailing lanes
View Amenities
Water
No authoritative fountain map or official bottle tariff → empty water_options.
View Water
Reviews
Editorial and traveler reviews — what people actually complain about.
View Reviews

☁️27°C / 81°F

Security wait times

Current security wait information is not available for this airport. Check the airport's official website or app before travel.

Official airport site

Operational status

Normal operations

No Flighty-reported operational issues for this airport.

Source: Flighty Airports

Status response Sep 27, 02:26 UTC · Confirm live conditions with official sources before travel.