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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.
Aireen Omar takes a bow from Capital A
AirAsia parent company Capital A announced the departure of Aireen Omar from the company after a stellar two-decade run. Throughout her tenure at the company, Omar helped drive innovation, growth and digital transformation across the Group’s aviation and technology businesses. Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes remarked on the occasion: “Aireen has been a pivotal leader in the Group’s evolution into a digital-first organisation, spearheading technology and transformation initiatives across the Group. I thank her for the immense passion and hard work she has poured into the company over the past two decades and wish her all the best in her next chapter.” A storied 20 years in service Omar joined AirAsia as the airline’s head of corporate finance, leading aircraft financing and procurement, treasury, investor relations, and key joint ventures that supported the airline’s strategic expansion across ASEAN. She later became executive director and chief executive of AirAsia Berhad, becoming one of the first female airline CEOs in Asia and steering the airline through some of its strongest-performing years from 2012 to 2017. In 2023, Omar was appointed president of Capital A’s Investment and Ventures division, where she led venture building and strategic investments. Most recently, she served as group CEO of BigPay, championing its product innovation, regional expansion and continued growth across ASEAN.
AirAsia launches To the Philippines with Love programme to support disaster victims
AirAsia recently launched its To the Philippines with Love initiative as a way of supporting regional resilience within ASEAN. This particular programme was created to support recovery efforts following recent natural disasters that hit the Philippines, particularly the powerful earthquake that hit Cebu as well as Typhoon Kalmaegi. By playing its part in expressing solidarity with its Southeast Asian neighbour, AirAsia will donate PHP15 for every seat sold from now until 14th January 2026 to support local typhoon relief and recovery programmes. One ASEAN family Capital A chief executive and AirAsia Aviation Group advisor Tony Fernandes said: “Connectivity has always been at the heart of what we do, and it goes beyond flights or routes. As one ASEAN family, in times like these, uniting to help one another is not just the right thing to do, it is who we are. Our hearts are with everyone affected in the Philippines, including our own Allstars. We hope AirAsia’s contribution can bring hope, and help rebuild businesses and enable local residents to get back on their feet.” The donation will be disbursed by AirAsia Foundation, the philanthropic arm of the airline group, to support relief and rebuilding projects, prioritising community infrastructure and training and awareness to strengthen the capacity of vulnerable communities to respond to future calamities. AirAsia Foundation executive director Yap Mun Ching added: “At AirAsia Foundation, one of our main priorities involves helping communities rebuild stronger after a disaster. As the focus shifts from emergency relief to recovery in these communities, we leverage our network of social enterprises and trusted partners to connect resources with communities in need, supporting them to restore homes and livelihoods and make a meaningful difference for those affected.” Boosting disaster resilience Among recent recipients of the Foundation’s disaster resilience grants in 2024 is Bike Scouts, a social enterprise with more than a decade of on-ground disaster response experience across the Philippines, to provide critical communication access to communities isolated by typhoons, floods and other natural events. In 2025, AirAsia Foundation approved a grant for Arkomjogja, the implementer of past rebuilding and resilience programmes in Indonesia, to document lessons learnt and disseminate knowledge on the organisation’s community-driven post-disaster recovery model. AirAsia Foundation has a long-standing record of helming AirAsia’s post-disaster campaigns in Asean. Since its establishment in 2012, the Foundation has raised and distributed over US$4 million to fund responses to Typhoon Haiyan in the Philippines (2013), the Palu tsunami (2018), and the Malaysian floods (2021), among others. The Foundation has also awarded more than US$670,000 in social enterprise grants across seven Asean countries, supporting impactful ventures that address poverty alleviation, promote sustainable livelihoods, and build climate resilience. The donation from AirAsia is in addition to the airline’s ongoing post-earthquake support for government partners through humanitarian flights. In coordination with government authorities, AirAsia transported search-and-rescue teams of the Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) and critical rescue equipment to support emergency relief missions in Cebu.
Australia’s FACTS Summit & Expo hits three major milestones
The FACTS Summit & Expo recently hit three significant milestones over the past week by way of its 100th confirmed speaker, 100th exhibitor, and 1,000th registered delegate. These milestones are helping boost anticipation for this year’s event which has been scheduled for 25th and 26th November at ICC Sydney. FACTS co-founder Derek Sadubin said the triple milestone reflects the growing importance of collaboration and innovation across the corporate travel sector. Sadubin declared: “Hitting 100 speakers, 100 exhibitors and 1,000 delegates milestones in the past week shows there’s a big appetite for fresh thinking and practical dialogue across our business travel and events community. It’s proof that travel, events, and aviation are not just bouncing back: they’re reinventing themselves. We can’t wait to welcome our industry to what’s become Australia’s largest business travel and events expo and summits in just four weeks’ time.” Who’s who As the countdown continues, the FACTS team is preparing for record attendance and a vibrant program of keynotes, debates, and networking sessions across the two-day event. Described as “the meeting place for the business travel and events community in Australasia”, FACTS 2025 brings together leaders from corporate travel procurement, business events, aviation, travel payments and technology to explore the industry’s most dynamic year yet. The 100-strong speaker lineup includes industry heavyweights and innovators from across Australia and the region, including: Cam Wallace, Chief Executive Officer, Qantas International and Freight Suzanne Neufang, CEO, Global Business Travel Association Tony Fernandes, CEO, AirAsia Group Simon Baptist, Principal Economist Asia Pacific, Visa Melissa Elf, Global COO, and MD ANZ, Flight Centre Corporate Simon Hickey, CEO, Western Sydney Airport Jo Sully, CEO Australia & New Zealand, Corporate Travel Management Roger Sharp, Chair, Technology Queenstown Massimo Morin Global Head of Travel, AWS Travel & Hospitality Each of these speakers brings deep expertise on topics ranging including: The future of aviation and new energy Corporate travel sustainability and climate alignment Procurement reimagined: dynamic sourcing and value creation The rise of travel technology and data-driven program management Showcasing the future of business travel FACTS 2025 will also feature Australia’s largest dedicated Business Travel & Events Expo, showcasing over 100 providers of travel technology, hotels, airlines, meetings, and sustainability solutions shaping the future of corporate travel. It’ll be a vibrant marketplace for travel procurement, meetings & events buyers, and industry to connect. Big hitters in the FACTS Expo include, Accor Pacific, Amadeus, American Express, American Express Global Business Travel, AWS, Corporate Travel Management, Cvent, Destination NSW, Enterprise, Europcar, FCM Travel, Marriott, Mastercard, NAB, Qantas, SAP Concur, Singapore Airlines, Uber for Business, Virgin Australia, Visa, Webjet Business Travel, Westpac, and many more.
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