Tawau Airport ( TA ) ( ICAO Code : WBKW ) is the second largest airport in Sabah state , after Kota Kinabalu , and has flights linking the town mostly to domestic destinations . Destinations for the airport include Kota Kinabalu , Kuching and Kuala Lumpur . Flights by MASWings connect the airport to smaller towns or rural areas in East Malaysia , and internationally to Juwata International Airport in Tarakan , Indonesia . The airport opened in 2001 and handled almost one million passengers annually . Prior to this the area was served by the Old Tawau Airport on North Street ( Jalan Utara ) . The airport was opened in 1968 and was used for small aircraft such as the Fokker 50 . The runway was widened in the 1980s , allowing it to operate Boeing 737s . There was a fatal accident in 1995 when Malaysia Airlines Flight 2133 , a Fokker 50 , crashed due to pilot error on landing , leading to 34 fatalities . A Cessna 208 Caravan crashed on takeoff in 1995 and MAS Boeing 737-400 skidded off the runway in 2001 , neither causing fatalities . The airport was closed when the new Tawau airport opened
Malaysia Airlines Flight 2133
Malaysia Airlines Flight 2133
Tawau