The Sabah tourism rejuvenation effort's received another boost in its arm with more domestic tourists expected from Terengganu.

This was made possible with AirAsia launching its inaugural flight connecting Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Terengganu to further boost domestic tourism as well as strengthen ties between the two states.

Sabah Tourism, Culture and Environment Minister (KePKAS) Datuk Jafry Ariffin said: "On behalf of the state government, I would like to thank AirAsia for choosing Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, as one of its new routes.

"And hope to continue to work together in reviving the tourism industry, especially in Sabah."

Jafry added that the new departure destination will make Sabah more accessible to tourists not only from Peninsular Malaysia but also international tourists in the future.

"I welcome more Malaysians to come and explore Sabah and enjoy its tourism and culture.

"KePKAS will continue to support AirAsia and hope to work together in the future to promote the tourism industry," said Jafry.

The inaugural flight AK5310 took off from Kota Kinabalu at 3.15pm and arrived in Kuala Terengganu at 5.40pm.

The flights between Kota Kinabalu and Kuala Terengganu depart every Sunday with one-way promotional fares available for bookings from as low as RM128 only from now until 14 Feb 2022, for the travel period from 13 Feb to 30 Sept 2022.