Flying domestically to an island holiday: routes

Most Malaysian island holidays use a flight to a mainland airport, then a road leg and then a boat, because very few islands have scheduled flights. Redang has an airstrip used for charters only ^[4], and Tioman had no commercial flights as of May 2024 ^[5]. Choose the airport by the jetty your booking uses, not by the island’s name.

Our guide to the four legs of a Malaysian island journey puts these steps in order. The jetty connection planner lets you test your own times.

Which airport fits which island?

Island group	Reported airport	Last legs
Perhentian	Kota Bharu, served by Malaysia Airlines, AirAsia and Firefly in an undated guide [2]	Road to Kuala Besut, then speedboat
Redang, Lang Tengah	Kuala Terengganu, about 30 minutes by taxi to Merang [3]	Taxi, then speedboat from Merang
Redang (charter)	Redang airstrip, charter flights only [4]	Direct charter, ask the operator
Tioman	No commercial flights as of May 2024 [5]	Road to Mersing or Tanjung Gemok, then ferry
Semporna islands (Mabul, Mataking)	Tawau, about 75 minutes by van to the Semporna jetty [6]	Van, then speedboat

Penang flights to the east coast are listed for Kota Bharu in a dated source ^[1]. Read Penang Airport to the east coast islands for that start.

What do the dated sources leave out?

They leave out schedules, fares and whether a route is nonstop. They also do not cover every airline or every airport. For Kuantan, Langkawi, Tawau, Kota Kinabalu and Senai, our sources did not name carriers, so you need each airline’s current timetable.

The result is that you should treat any route in a guide as a lead, not a promise. Ask your agent or resort to confirm the flight, the road leg and the boat in one message.

How do you test a flight against the boat?

Work from the boat time your resort gives you, then subtract the road and the jetty check-in. Our guide on checking a flight against a boat cut-off shows the sum.

If your landing is later than the cut-off, a mainland night helps. See afternoon flight, morning boat: building the day.

What about baggage on short flights?

Short flights have their own rules for bags and sports gear, set by each airline. Our guide on luggage and sports equipment on short island flights lists the questions to ask before you pack snorkel or dive gear.

A better fit if…

A flight is a better fit if you start far from the coast and have a window that leaves a buffer. Driving may be a better fit if you are a large group or carry a lot of gear. A nearer island may suit you better if your time is short.

When unsure, send us your starting point and dates.