Sandakan Airport

Sandakan Airport, Malaysia Lapangan Terbang Sandakan
IATA: SDK ICAO: WBKS
Summary
Airport type	Public
Owner	Khazanah Nasional Berhad
Operator	Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad
Serves	Sandakan Division, Sabah, East Malaysia
Location	Sandakan, Sabah, East Malaysia
Time zone	MST (UTC+08:00)
Elevation AMSL	46 ft / 14 m
Coordinates	05°54′06″N 118°02′55″E / 5.90167°N 118.04861°E / 5.90167; 118.04861
Map
SDK /WBKS Location in Sabah state Show map of Sabah SDK /WBKS Location in East Malaysia Show map of East Malaysia SDK /WBKS Location in Borneo Show map of Borneo SDK /WBKS Location in Malaysia Show map of Malaysia SDK /WBKS Location in Southeast Asia Show map of Southeast Asia
Runways
Direction Length Surface m ft 08/26 2,500 8,202 Asphalt
Statistics (2020)
Passenger 362,692 ( 66.5%) Airfreight (tonnes) 1,657 ( 34.9%) Aircraft movements 6,034 ( 50.5%)
Sources: Official web site[1] AIP Malaysia[2]

Sandakan Airport (IATA: SDK, ICAO: WBKS) is a domestic airport located in Sandakan, Sabah, Malaysia, approximately 14 km (8.7 mi)^[2]) west of the town center. It serves as an important gateway for both passenger and cargo traffic, supporting the local economy and regional tourism. In 2022, the airport handled 621,513 passengers and recorded 10,876 flight movements, making it the 12th busiest airport in Malaysia.

The airport was originally built by the Japanese during World War II and was later repurposed for civilian use to aid in the post-war reconstruction of the region. It began commercial operations in the 1950s and over the years, Sandakan Airport has been upgraded to accommodate growing demand. Significant infrastructure improvements have included terminal expansions, runway extensions, and the introduction of modern navigational systems.

In recent years, the airport has seen major developments, including a terminal expansion completed in 2014, which increased the terminal area to 12,500 square meters, with a capacity to handle 750 passengers per hour. In 2022, a runway extension project was completed, lengthening the runway to 2,500 meters (8,202 feet) and enhancing the airport's ability to handle larger aircraft such as the Airbus A330.