Sipadan Air – All You Need To Know
The all-new Sipadan Air from Sabah will start operations from Semporna to Kota Kinabalu, slated to begin in September 2019. Sipadan Air is also privately owned by Equus Air Sdn. Bhd that is based in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. These new players in the Sabah aviation industry aim to develop aviation tourism in Sabah.
Sipadan Air Kota Kinabalu to Semporna Flights
These special charter flights from KK to Semporna will operate on two Twin Otter DHC-6 aircraft. The aircraft comfortably seats 12 to 15 passengers, though it can carry up to 19 passengers.
This is due to the weight factor for the Twin Otter aircraft, where luggage and passengers are weighed to balance the plane. Since the announcement of the new airline in Sabah in September, the company has indicated that the two inaugural flights have been fully booked with 30 Chinese tourists.
Sipadan Air has also mentioned that the charter flights have been fully booked until the end of this year. The Daily Express, Sabah’s popular English news portal, also covered the news about the new Sabah airline.
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| The main landing page for Sipadan Air, which is under Equus Air |
Why the Name Sipadan Air?
This can be confusing for visitors, who may first think that the airline will fly directly to Sipadan Island. But actually, it is just a name given to the charter airline. There could have been any other name, but the company decided on Sipadan Air to reflect the world-renowned name of Sipadan Island.
Another reason could be that many Chinese tourists and other tourists have Sipadan Island on their wishlist or bucket list as one of the places to visit in the world. The main website is Equus Air, and it was not operational when this article was written, but it should be ready in the next few days or weeks.
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| Sipadan Island is seen from my dive boat during one of my many trips there. |
Will Sipadan Air fly directly to Sipadan Island?
We all wish for that, but sorry, no. Sipadan Air will only operate flights from Kota Kinabalu to Semporna town, the gateway to Sipadan and Mabul island. Many people who have not been here may think that Sipadan is a large island with resorts and even an airport, but truthfully, it is a small island with only a military outpost.
The name sounds catchy, but it needs to reflect the airline flying into the island, like other islands around Malaysia. For example, the Tioman and Pangkor Islands have small airports and runways. But Mabul, Sipadan, and other Tun Sakaran Marin Park islands are very small and have no airport space.
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| Equus Air owns Sipadan Air |
Who is Sipadan Air?
Sipadan Air is a privately owned airline by Equus Air Sdn. Bhd is a local Sabahan company based in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. The Chairman of Sipadan Air is Datuk Omar Ali Tun Sakaran, the son of Tun Sakaran Mohd Hashim bin Dandai, who served as the eighth Chief Minister and Governor of Sabah.
Equus Air’s chief operating officer is Capt. Adam Abdullah. The airline also owns two 19-seat De Havilland Canada Series 300 Twin Otters, which will be used for the inaugural phase. The airline also has a tagline, “From Islands to Highlands,” which is targeted at tourist destinations around Sabah Borneo.
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| The S-38 Sikorsky Seaplane is a famous amphibious aircraft. |
Equus Air is also planning to introduce Sea Planes to Sabah. This may be soon. The company has also sent one of its pilots to the Maldives to do some pilot training, and in the Maldives, seaplanes are the primary mode of transport from island to island.
Another exciting news is that the company is interested in introducing amphibious aircraft to Sabah. Equus Air is preparing an amphibian flight module for approval by the Department of Civil Aviation.
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| Semporna Airport, an STOL airport located just 12 minutes from the main town area |
Where does Sipadan Air fly to?
For phase one, Sipadan Air will operate from Kota Kinabalu to Semporna and vice versa. Plans are also to expand to other tourist destinations around Sabah.
For future routes, the airline plans to operate Kota Kinabalu to Ranau flights. Driving will take around two and a half hours, but the flight will take only 20 minutes.
There are also the Kota Kinabalu to Kudat flights, and driving up north will take you around three to three and a half hours one way. A flight will take you only 30 minutes.
Sipadan Air Phase 2
Phase two of the airline will see the introduction of Seaplanes or Amphibious Aircraft, which will most likely be the Sikorsky 38 or 39 models. These dual-purpose seaplanes can land in water and on land, making them perfect for many island resorts around Sabah.
The second phase for Sipadan Air is targeting flights and also special charters for;
- Kota Kinabalu to resort
- Tawau to resort
- Semporna to resort
- Island hopping flight
- Scenic flight
- Sunset dinner flight
- Sunset Round Island tour
Seaplanes will also be used for special occasions such as birthdays, anniversaries, marriages, proposals, graduations, and even career promotions. This introduction will, of course, bring in new tourism opportunities in Sabah and help to increase tourism arrivals into Sabah and the hard to get to places.
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| The Twin Otter DHC-6 aircraft that Sipadan Air will use |
How to Book Sipadan Air Flights?
Currently, the airline only offers charter flights and has arrangements with selected travel agents in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah. The airline may open up to mainstream tourists for direct booking in the future, but there has yet to be any news about this.
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| The route by road from Tawau to Semporna |
What other ways to get to Sipadan Island?
The only way to get to Sipadan Island or Semporna is via flights into Tawau City from Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu, and other major cities.
Airlines like Malaysia Airlines and AirAsia have daily direct flights to Tawau, and from there, you need to take a taxi to Semporna, which will take one hour and forty-five minutes.
Most visitors will use this route to reach Sipadan Island or any other island around the Tun Sakaran Marine Park.
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| The distance from Semporna Airport to the main public jetty in Semporna town |
Where is Semporna Airport located?
Semporna Airport is an STOL Airport, or short take-off and landing airport, which can only accommodate small turboprop aircraft like the Twin Otter and even ATR planes.
The airport is along Jalan Lapangan Terbang in the Mile 2 area or Batu 2 of the Semporna main road called SA51. Another landmark is the main office of Sabah Electricity in Semporna.
The airport was last used by the Rural Air Service by Malaysia Airlines, which operated flights connecting to Sandakan and other towns around Sabah. The last commercial flights were in 2012.
In recent years, Borneo Paramotor has used the airport runway for leisure activities, including classes to fly a paramotor.
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| What the Semporna Airport looks like in this photo taken in May 2019 |
Cause for Concerns
Did you know that tourism numbers in Semporna and the surrounding islands have been estimated to be between 60,000 – 80,000 visitors a month?
While this is excellent news for Sabah Tourism, many feel that the overtourism in this part of Sabah needs to be controlled. However, this is a double-edged sword that the tourism board and the tourism industry need to examine carefully.
Conclusion
The announcement of Sipadan Air flying from Kota Kinabalu to Semporna will significantly cut travel time for tourists wanting to visit the world-famous Sipadan and Mabul Islands.
If you are planning to visit this part of Sabah Borneo, you may also want to know what to do on Mabul Island. As stated earlier in this article, the flights are only available for charter flights through some of the tour agents in Sabah. Sipadan Air will expand into a commercial budget airline in Sabah.
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