--- iata: TWU name: Tawau Airport city: Tawau country: Malaysia lastUpdated: '2026-11-01' officialWebsite: 'https://www.malaysiaairports.com.my' sources: - >- https://aip.caam.gov.my/aip/eAIP/2026-10-29-AIRAC/html/eAIP/WM-AD-2.WBKW-en-MS.html - >- https://aip.caam.gov.my/aip/eAIP/43.%202026-10-01-AIRAC/html/eSUP/WM-eSUP-26-43-en-MS.html - >- https://www.mot.gov.my/my/Statistik%20Tahunan%20Pengangkutan/Statistik%20Pengangkutan%20Malaysia%202024.pdf - >- https://mahbseadrmprodsa.blob.core.windows.net/corporate-prod-cms/2025-07/2023%20Airport%20Statistics_1.pdf - >- https://www.theborneopost.com/2025/09/26/close-monitoring-of-tawau-airport-upgrade-for-timely-completion-loke/ - 'https://www.prioritypass.com/en-GB/lounges/malaysia' quickFacts: - >- One passenger terminal at Balung, about 31 km by road from Masjid Al-Khautar. The current field opened in December 2001 and was inaugurated in 2003. - >- Malaysia Ministry of Transport, citing Malaysia Airports: 1,962,752 passengers in 2024 including 86 transit passengers, of which 68,071 were international. Aircraft movements 12,964. Cargo 8,905 tonnes. - >- Published design capacity in the 2024 facilities table is 1.5 million passengers a year. A RM120.9 million upgrade is meant to raise that to 2.5 million, with airside work running into 2028. - >- Runway 06/24, asphalt, 2,685 by 47 m. Runway 24 has the ILS. Rescue and firefighting category 7. Aerodrome elevation on the 29 October 2026 AIP is 56 ft. - >- Operator and customs hours on that AIP are 2300–1400 UTC, which is 07:00–22:00 Malaysian time. AirAsia files Tawau–Guangzhou at 23:10 local. bentoTips: - label: Timing title: 'The AIP day ends at 22:00' detail: >- AirAsia AK1618 to Guangzhou is filed at 23:10 local on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday through 25 March 2027. The 1 November 2026 flight landed in Guangzhou. That departure sits outside the printed AIP window. summary: >- Malaysia Airports, customs, immigration, and air traffic are published as 2300–1400 UTC, 07:00–22:00 Malaysian time. category: timing - label: Works title: Bays 3 to 6 are closed detail: >- Temporary stands sit behind the hoarding. The supplement says bays 5 and 6 cannot be used at the same time in that layout. Bay 1 and 2 bridge work is planned from 1 April 2027 to 28 February 2028. summary: >- From 1 October 2026 through 30 March 2027 the AIP supplement closes stands 3, 4, 5, and 6 for new passenger boarding bridges. category: terminal - label: Food title: The AIP names one restaurant detail: >- No cafe names, hours, or prices are printed there. Priority Pass does not list a Tawau lounge. summary: >- Passenger facilities on the current AIP are an airport restaurant, an ATM, and bus and taxi service. category: food - label: Status title: 'Domestic airport, one China flight' detail: >- The scheduled international flight that is operating now is AirAsia to Guangzhou. Do not treat a charter plan from 2025 as today's timetable. summary: >- In 2024, 1,894,595 of 1,962,666 non-transit passengers were domestic, and all 547 international movements were non-scheduled. category: status lounges: [] waterOptions: [] airportistScore: 4.5 slug: twu region: Asia-Pacific --- > Markdown for [/airports/twu](/airports/twu). Append `.md` to any page URL (or send `Accept: text/markdown`) for an agent-readable copy. - [HTML page](/airports/twu) - [Lounge directory](/airports/twu/lounges.md) - [Sitemap](/sitemap.md) # Tawau Airport (TWU) Tawau, Malaysia · Asia-Pacific A single low terminal east of Tawau that already handles more people than its 1.5 million design capacity, with apron bridges under construction and one late AirAsia flight to Guangzhou. ## Airportist Score **4.5 / 10** Weighted sum of the six published categories (no holistic fudge). - Ease of use (25%): 5.4 — Wayfinding, security wait, and layout. - Comfort & amenities (20%): 4.6 — Seating, Wi-Fi, cleanliness, and quiet. - Food & retail (15%): 4.0 — Food and retail quality and variety. - Ground access (15%): 4.4 — Transit, taxi, and parking to the city. - Reliability (15%): 5.4 — Delays, cancellations, and weather resilience. - Lounges (10%): 1.2 — Worth-it density and access quality. ## At a glance - Passengers: 1,962,752 (2024) - Terminals: One passenger terminal - Typical security: 0 min - On-time: 0% - Disruption: minor ## Best for - Domestic connections to Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Lumpur - The east-coast hop toward Semporna - A direct AirAsia flight to Guangzhou on four evenings a week ## Watch out for - Stands 3 to 6 are closed until 30 March 2027 - The published airport day ends at 22:00, and the Guangzhou flight is filed at 23:10 - No lounge is listed by Priority Pass - Bus and taxi exist, and neither fare is on the AIP ## More intel - [Lounge directory](/airports/twu/lounges.md) (free) - [Map](/airports/twu/map.md) (free) - [Getting there](/airports/twu/getting-there.md) (free) - [Amenities](/airports/twu/amenities.md) (free) - [Traveler tips](/airports/twu/tips.md) (free) - [Water](/airports/twu/water.md) (free) - [Visa](/airports/twu/visa.md) (free) - [Full guide](/airports/twu/guide.md) (free) - [Disruptions](/airports/twu/disruptions.md) (free)