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AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes personally sends off SoKor national football team
Capital A announced that its CEO and AirAsia co-founder Tony Fernandes personally sent off the South Korean national football team as they departed for Basra, Iraq today, 2nd June. The team’s departure comes ahead of their crucial upcoming FIFA World Cup Qualifier match slated for Friday, 6th June. A special AirAsia X charter flight, D7256, took off from Incheon International Airport at 11:00 AM local time, carrying the national squad and coaching staff, including head coach Hong Myung-bo, Park Hang-seo, Son Heung-min (Tottenham Hotspur), and Hwang In-beom (Feyenoord Rotterdam). Staunch supporter As a lifelong football fan and former owner of the Queens Park Rangers, Fernandes was at the airport to offer his personal support and encouragement to the players and coaching staff. He said: “I’ve always believed in empowering people and helping dreams take flight whether through football or helping people travel, connecting people to places just as AirAsia has done for the past 23 years. This is a proud moment not only for Korean football, but for Asia. We stand behind the team and wish them the very best as they carry the hopes of a nation into this World Cup qualifier. I’ll definitely be tuning in for the match.” Fernandes is well known among Korean football fans for his connection to Park Ji-sung, whom he signed to Queens Park Rangers in 2012 and later appointed as AirAsia’s global ambassador in 2014. The Korean national team is expected to return to Incheon on 6 June on the same charter flight following the match.
AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes and chairman quit over Airbus bribery scandal
Two AirAsia chiefs will step aside for at least two months as authorities and the airline look into claims that aerospace giant Airbus paid the company USD 50 million to secure a plane order. Airbus said last week it had agreed to set aside up to EUR 3.6 billion (USD 3.98 billion) to settle a corruption probe by authorities in France, Britain and the US. As news of the probe widened, the Malaysia-based AirAsia was named in a bribery investigation by Britain's Serious Fraud Office (SFO), allegedly implicating two company executives. In a late Monday filing on Malaysia's stock market, the budget carrier said its chief executive Tony Fernandes and executive chairman Kamarudin Meranun would leave their positions immediately. Both men were to stand down ‘for a period of two months or such other period that the company may deem fit’, the airline said. The airline’s board formed a committee to review the allegations, stating that Kamarudin and Fernandes would be kept as company advisors and redesignated as non-independent non-executive board members. A court document on the SFO's website said EADS France SAS -- which was later renamed as Airbus Group SAS -- paid USD 50 million as sponsorship for a sports team owned by two unnamed AirAsia executives. Identified as ‘key decision makers’ in AirAsia and AirAsia X - the company's long-haul arm - they were allegedly rewarded with the order of 180 aircraft from Airbus. “The payments to the sports team were intended to secure or reward improper favour by them in respect of that business,” the document said. Both Kamarudin and Fernandes denied any wrongdoing and said in a Monday joint statement that they ‘would not harm the very companies that we spent our entire lives building up to their present global status.’
Indian CBI sets date for Tony Fernandes questioning
AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes Following raids on AirAsia’s India offices in Mumbai on 29 May, investigating allegations of corruption and bribery, India’s Central Bureau of Investigation has summoned CEO Tony Fernandes for questioning on 6 June, according to an article in the Financial Express The CBI case, also against AirAsia India’s non-executive director R Venkataramanan and CEO of operations Bo Lingam, concerns accusations that the flamboyant CEO is guilty of violating Indian direct investment laws and alleged bribery of government officials to ease legislation and provide a license to operate within the country. The article also states “A total of 14 people, including some former and current employees of AirAsia, have been named in the charge sheet. This includes the airline’s former CEO Mittu Chandilya, his secretary, and the current and the former CFO of the airline, Deepak Mahendra and Vijay Gopalan.” Commenting on its investigations the CBI said the airline and its CEO “chose to beat the legal frameworks and policies of the aviation sector of India” and improperly courted government administrators “to secure mandatory approvals, some of them through non-transparent means”. AirAsia India has said in an official statement that it denies all charges and that will work with officials agencies “to present the correct facts”. https://twitter.com/tonyfernandes/status/1001619038630379521 However, the airline's stance on the matter has been undermined by Fernandes' apparently unconnected comments via his Twitter account, where he declared: “Sometimes wonder about certain media. Who just wrote anything without checking any facts. Seriously wild stuff which are just plain wrong and inaccurate.” My own requests to AirAsia India for comment on the situation have so far been met with silence. It has been four years since the AirAsia first entered the Indian domestic market with a view to quickly establish its international services in the country. However these plans were hindered by aviation laws stating an airline must operate on a domestic basis for at least five years – with a minimum fleet size of 20 planes) before scaling up to international services. Subsequently, in 2017, the five year probation period has been removed, but it is these rules which are at the heart of the charges. With the CBI believing the airline and its leadership sought to operate as an international carrier from the moment it began to operating in India. Another eye catching name in the case is R Venkataramanan, who, in addition to his role for the airline, is the managing trustee of the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust an organisation responsible for AirAsia’s majority owners Tata Group. "I have been wrongly named as an accused" Commenting on his involvement in the scandal Venkataramanan said: “In my capacity as non-executive director of AirAsia India Limited, I have been wrongly named as an accused by the CBI on operational matters where I had little or no role to play.” Additional reporting by Bloomberg and Associated Press
WTA Grand Final 2017: The “world’s true low-cost champion” according to Tony Fernandes
AirAsia has been named the for the fifth year in a row at the 2017 World Travel Awards (WTA) Grand Final.World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline The ariline emerged top in the category having received the highest votes from travel professionals and industry players from around the world, beating Southwest Airlines, JetBlue, Ryanair, easyJet, Jetstar Airways, Norwegian Air, West Air, flydubai, Air Arabia, flynas, kulula, Mango and fastjet. Asia’s largest low-cost carrier by passengers also won the inaugural award, ahead of the same 13 budget airlines. The win builds on AirAsia's success earlier this year when it secured WTA’s first ever Asia's Leading Low-Cost Airline Cabin Crew award and in 2015, when it became the first ever low-cost carrier to win Asia's Leading Cabin Crew, ahead of full-service carriers like Singapore Airlines, Korean Air and Cathay Pacific.World's Leading Low-Cost Airline Cabin Crew AirAsia Group Chief Commercial Officer Siegtraund Teh and AirAsia senior cabin crew Rosita Sulaiman accepted the awards at a gala ceremony held at the JW Marriott Phu Quoc Emerald Bay in Vietnam yesterday. Also present were AirAsia Berhad executive chairman Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, AirAsia Berhad independent non-executive director Dato' Fam Lee Ee and AirAsia's Vietnam joint venture partner Tran Trong Kien. AirAsia Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes (above) said, “I am very proud to stand here today to receive our fifth WTA World’s Leading Low-Cost Airline award in as many years. I’ve always said we are the world’s true low-cost champion, and I’m thrilled to see I’m not the only one and the industry agrees with me. And we will only get better as we continue on our digitalisation journey to better understand what our guests want and to make flying a richer, more enjoyable experience, as we continue to strive to provide world-class service at the lowest fares.”
Tony Fernandes “AirAsia is poised to become an important part of how people fly in Japan”
AirAsia Japan, the Japanese affiliate of the world’s best low-cost carrier, is back in business with its maiden service from AirAsia Japan’s main hub in Nagoya to Sapporo – the capital of northern Hokkaido prefecture. The twice-daily service will commence on 29 October 2017. Group CEO Tony Fernandes (pictured above) said, “It’s great to be back in Japan. It hasn't been easy, and I want to thank my partners Rakuten, Octave, Noevir and Alpen for their support and patience. Many people thought we would give up and not bother but we owe it to the people of Japan and our staff to keep going. This took a long time but, like good wine, all good things take time and we are off the taxiway and ready to take off. “Japan is a fantastic market with amazing people, culture and food, but one that has been underserved in the budget segment for too long. I believe Japan is ready for a true low-cost experience, and AirAsia will be at the forefront of that revolution, starting with today’s route launch. With new partners who share our vision, I have no doubt that AirAsia is poised to become an important part of how people fly in Japan.”
Cambodian uni opens “Tony Fernandes School of Business”
The University of Cambodia has named its business school after AirAsia's group CEO, Tony Fernandes. The university unveiled the "Tony Fernandes School of Business" and its accompanying logo this week, along with a lecture hall within the school which is named after AirAsia. Fernandes had earlier been conferred an Honorary Doctorate in Management by the university for his work in developing air travel in the ASEAN region. "What an amazing honour to be recognised by the University of Cambodia. I'm not sure I deserve to have a school named after me but I hope the students here will be inspired by what they can achieve if they believe the unbelievable, dream the impossible and never take no for an answer," said Fernandes. This week AirAsia announced plans to launch flights Sihanoukville, its third destination in Cambodia.
Should we Expect Mandatory Vaccinations for Travel to Asia?
Air Asia’s Tony Fernandes expects countries in Asia to demand Covid-19 vaccinations as a requirement for inbound travel. Speaking at a CAPA – Centre for Aviation event, the budget carrier’s chief said these conditions are expected to become a trend across the region. Fernandes’ comments contrast with earlier remarks by Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, who said Covid-19 vaccinations will be a requirement to board the Australian carrier’s international flights. The Air Asia CEO argues the onus should instead lie with countries. “It’s not up to the airlines to decide. It is for governments to decide. It’ll be the country that will decide if they will allow people to come in if they are not vaccinated,” said Fernandes. While vaccines are pending a wider rollout, airlines have been advocating for pre-flight testing and travel bubbles as an alternative to demand-sapping quarantines. Additionally, carriers including Air Asia have unveiled digital passes to streamline health document checks and determine eligibility to travel into a foreign country. The International Air Transport Association (IATA) is also in the final stages of developing an industry-standard health pass to support the safe reopening of borders. Vaccination rollout is beginning in many countries, like the UK, the US, China, Russia, and others, therefore it is normal to expect airlines or governments to ask for vaccination in order to be travelling internationally and considering the recent developments with apps and other tools to track testing and vaccination I think that is the way it will be when boarders around the world fully re-open.
AirAsia to change the game yet again with purchase order for 50 Airbus A321XLRs
AirAsia Berhad signed a landmark agreement with Airbus for the purchase of 50 A321XLRs on Saturday, 5th July. The signing in Paris between Capital A chief executive Tony Fernandes and his counterpart at Airbus Commercial Aircraft Christian Scherer was witnessed by Malaysian Prime Minister of Malaysia Anwar Ibrahim. The purchase’s total value is at US$12.25 billion and also includes rights for 20 A321XLRs, and the aircraft are scheduled for delivery between 2028 and 2032. With this agreement, the airline takes a major step towards becoming the world’s first low-cost narrow-body network carrier, anchored by its multi-hub strategy. Taking Asian aviation to the next level. Fernandes pointed out that AirAsia pioneered low-cost travel and Asia and is now set to take the sector to the next level. He said: “AirAsia is on a transformative journey to become the world’s first low-cost network carrier. This is about exponential growth, connecting geographies beyond Asean, and making flying even more democratic. We gave people in ASEAN the opportunity to explore Asia; now, we want the world to see ASEAN, and ASEAN to see the world. The A321XLR and A321LR are the game-changers enabling this vision, and we are proud to lead the charge in making our world smaller. We can’t wait to paint the skies even wider in red.” For his part, Scherer expressed pleasure over the confirmation of the agreement, as well as over becoming part of the next phase of AirAsia’s development. Scherer said: “Having resumed its growth trajectory, which we salute and support, AirAsia is creating solid fleet efficiencies, allowing global network expansion. The A321XLR unlocks new opportunities for AirAsia to launch non-stop flights linking primary and secondary cities all around the globe.” The next-generation A321XLRs will operate alongside AirAsia’s all-Airbus fleet of A320 Family and A330 aircraft, supporting its long-term strategy to deliver unmatched connectivity across Asia and beyond, whilst maintaining a low-cost model through improved route economics, enhanced aircraft utilisation and fleet efficiency. AirAsia Group aims to carry 150 million guests annually by 2030, reaching a cumulative total of 1.5 billion guests since inception. The new fleet plays a pivotal role in this transformation as AirAsia’s multi-aircraft strategy enables the airline to match capacity with demand, reduce fuel consumption, and support a sustainable, cost-effective growth model in a highly competitive global landscape. The A321XLR also offers up to 20 percent lower fuel burn per seat than the Airbus A321neo aircraft, significantly improving emissions performance and operating efficiency.
AirAsia remains the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline for the 16th consecutive year
AirAsia was hailed by Skytrax as the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline for a 16th consecutive year at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2025 held on Tuesday, 17th June. The accolade reaffirms AirAsia’s reputation as the global gold standard in low-cost travel. At the awards ceremony, Skytrax’s chief executive officer Edward Plaisted declared: “We congratulate AirAsia on this fabulous achievement at the 2025 World Airline Awards. This success for a record sixteenth time is a clear reflection of their dedication to providing quality, affordable travel options to customers. This is a most competitive and fast growing market for low cost airlines, and this award demonstrates AirAsia success.” Likewise, the award reflects the airline’s unmatched reach across ASEAN and beyond, underpinned by a vast network connecting over 130 destinations, affordable fares, and a strong commitment to operational excellence. Indeed, AirAsia continues to redefine connectivity, making travel accessible, affordable, and seamlessly integrated across Asia leveraging its multi-hub strategy across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Cambodia. Still meaningful after all these years In accepting the award at a ceremony at the Paris Air Show 2025, Capital A chair and AirAsia co-founder Kamarudin Meranun was moved to remark on how, 16 years on, this recognition remains just as meaningful as ever to the company. Meranun declared: “We started with a simple dream to make flying affordable for everyone. To be recognised for the 16th time reaffirms that we have stayed true to that mission and continue to soar high in the minds of the many millions of passengers who choose to fly with us each year. While this award is truly another fantastic achievement, we never rest on our laurels and it inspires us to go even further.” Capital A chief executive and AirAsia co-founder Tony Fernandes likewise declared that this win is one he considers emotional on a personal level. Fernandes said: “From flying just 200,000 guests in our first year to aiming to welcome our one billionth guest this year, this journey has been made possible by the unwavering support of our guests, and the tireless dedication of our incredible Allstars. Every challenge we have faced, every comeback we have made, was made possible by their trust and effort. We thank the Skytrax team for recognising our work, and I would like to share the award with my Allstars: it belongs to them. Thank you for believing in the dream.” A winning model The award also serves as a testament to the airline’s contribution to connecting both primary and underserved secondary and tertiary cities. This model has enabled the launch of unique and strategic routes such as Kuala Lumpur-Labuan Bajo, Bangkok-Narathiwat, Manila-Tagbilaran, Jakarta-Silangit, and others expanding access to emerging travel corridors and tourism growth areas. At the same time, AirAsia’s continued emphasis on guest experience sets it apart: having flown close to one billion guests, the airline maintains high levels of customer loyalty and brand advocacy across its key markets. Looking ahead, the airline is set to deepen its connectivity across Central Asia and the Middle East, marking a significant step forward in its ambition to become the first truly global low-cost network carrier.
AirAsia offers a significant fare discount for Malaysian media professionals
( AirAsia and the Malaysian Ministry of Communications have teamed up to offer an exclusive 50 percent base fare discount for return flights to 57 destinations across Asean for all registered Malaysian media members. The discount was announced on Saturday, 14th June, as Malaysia marked its National Journalists’ Day (HAWANA). This initiative celebrates the vital role journalists play in nation-building and also serves as a gesture of appreciation for the media’s relentless dedication to delivering stories that matter. As the airline of choice for the Malaysian people, AirAsia holds deep respect for the media’s contribution to chronicling the airline’s growth and connecting its story to the world. ( A way of supporting regional unity In line with Malaysia’s ASEAN Chairmanship this year, the offer also supports the broader goal of promoting regional unity, connectivity and cultural exchange. With nearly a billion guests flown and one of the most comprehensive networks in the region, AirAsia remains committed to enabling easier access across Asean while supporting those who help shape the public narrative and foster greater understanding among neighbouring nations. Capital A chief executive Tony Fernandes said: “When we first started 23 years ago with just two planes and a dream, it was the media who gave us a voice. You told our story, asked the tough questions, celebrated our wins, and stood by us through our toughest moments. We have made flying inclusive from flying 200,000 guests in our first year to now nearing one billion and all of this was made possible thanks to your support. This initiative also celebrates our joint efforts with the Ministry of Communications to honour the role of journalism in nation-building. This token of appreciation is not just from AirAsia, but from me to each of you the unsung heroes behind the headlines.” During the same event, the airline also announced a special aircraft livery to honour prominent Malaysian journalists who have played pivotal roles in shaping the country’s media landscape and championing national narratives over the decades. This visual tribute which will be launched towards the end of this year reflects the airline’s heartfelt appreciation for the enduring impact of Malaysian journalism and stands as a symbol of the close relationship between the media and the people they serve.
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