AirAsia’s victory at the prestigious Skytrax World Airline Awards began with a dream – one that continues to grow even greater, driving the airline onwards and upwards.
AirAsia won the World’s Best Low Cost Airline and Asia’s Best Low Cost Airline awards, while AirAsia X won World’s Best Low Cost Airline Premium Cabin along with Best Low Cost Airline Premium Seat at the Paris Air Show in June 2015. Present to celebrate the win were: (from left) Sunu Widyatmoko, CEO of Indonesia AirAsia; Mittu Chandilya, CEO of India AirAsia; Tassapon Bijleveld, CEO of Thai AirAsia; Tan Sri Rafi dah Aziz, Chairman of AirAsia X; Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of AirAsia; Aireen Omar, CEO of Malaysia AirAsia; Joy Caneba, CEO of AirAsia Philippines; and Benyamin Ismail, Acting CEO of AirAsia X
In June, AirAsia emerged triumphant at the Skytrax World Airline Awards in Le Bourget, Paris, clinching the World’s Best Low Cost Airline and Asia’s Best Low Cost Airline titles for the seventh year in a row. AirAsia X, the airline group’s long-haul affiliate, added to the accolades by winning the World’s Best Low Cost Airline Premium Cabin and Best Low Cost Airline Premium Seat categories for the third year running.
AirAsia welcomed its 100 millionth guest – Irma Dewi from Indonesia – in October 2010, and presented her with 100 free return flights.
Receiving these awards is a great honour, as UK-based Skytrax is a specialist research advisor to the air transport industry, carrying out independent and impartial product, service and passenger audits, as well as research studies for airlines and airports across the world. The prestigious Skytrax World Airline Awards, which was established in 1999, is a global benchmark for airline excellence.
Tun Abdullah Haji Ahmad Badawi, former Prime Minister of Malaysia, officially opened KLIA’s Low Cost Carrier Terminal in March 2006.
The distinction of World’s Best is accorded to airlines based on some 19 million customer service assessments of product and staff service standards in both the cabin and airport environments. This year, the world’s largest airline passenger satisfaction survey involved travellers from over 160 nations!
In February 2015, AirAsia introduced the AirAsia Asean Pass and the AirAsia Asean Pass+ to make travelling around the region a seamless experience.
A GREAT DREAM
As part of AirAsia’s sponsorship of Manchester United, the airline unveiled a special livery in 2006.
Like many great endeavours, AirAsia’s journey began with a dream – an airline that would revolutionise air travel, enabling not just the well-heeled but everyone to fly. Turning that dream into reality took daring, passion, grit and a never-say-never attitude that has been the driving force behind AirAsia’s success.
In 2014, Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of AirAsia and John G. Rice, Vice Chairman of General Electric (seated, right) signed a MoU for the purchase of CF6 engines for AirAsia X. Present were Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, Prime Minister of Malaysia and Barack Obama, President of the US.
In September 2001, Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes, Datuk Kamarudin Meranun and the other founding fathers took a huge risk by purchasing a heavily indebted domestic carrier for a token MYR1. Realising that there was a yet untapped market for low-cost travel in Southeast Asia, they rebranded the airline, pioneering low-cost air travel in the region and empowering millions to fly, pursue their dreams and experience the world. Their foresight and fortitude carried AirAsia from strength to strength.
AirAsia was the first airline to utilise INTERPOL’s I-Checkit system, screening passports against the Stolen and Lost Travel Documents database.
Few would have imagined that in just 13 years, AirAsia would expand from a fleet of only two planes and 250 staff to more than 170 aircraft and 17,000 employees, and spread its wings across Asia, with affiliates in Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines and India. But, expand it did. Following AirAsia’s success, the airline group set its sights on making long-haul travel affordable – a cause close to Fernandes’ heart, for as a young boy attending boarding school in England, returning home for half-term visits was simply out of the question, chiefly because of the exorbitant fares. In 2007, the airline group established low-cost long-haul carrier AirAsia X, and later, long-haul affiliates Thai AirAsia X and Indonesia AirAsia X. This network of low-cost airlines across the region has made it affordable for students and migrant workers to return home, families to reunite and adventurers to travel where their wanderlust leads them.
In 2012, AirAsia became the launch customer of the Airbus A320 aircraft equipped with Sharklet wing-tip devices, which reduce fuel burn and improve aircraft aerodynamics.
MAKING CONNECTIONS
International shoe couturier, Dato’ Jimmy Choo OBE enjoys AirAsia X’s Premium Seat.
Today, AirAsia flies an average of 125,000 guests a day into and across the region we call home – Asean. Flying into all 10 Asean nations is one of AirAsia’s proudest achievements, as it has always been the airline’s mission to connect the Asean region and serve underserved routes, establishing air links between cities where formerly there were none. The airline’s commitment to expanding its already extensive regional network is in line with the aims of the ASEAN Open Skies policy, which seeks to boost regional and domestic connectivity, integrate production networks and enhance regional trade.
Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes tweeted from the skies for the first time on July 1, 2015. This was made possible with a partnership with roKKi, an on board Wi-Fi service provider.
AirAsia now flies more than 200 routes, connecting the Asean region to destinations in Australia, China, Taiwan, India, Sri Lanka, Japan, Jeddah and South Korea – with many more exotic hotspots still to come. This year alone, AirAsia launched several new routes and is currently (at press time) the only airline flying from Kuala Lumpur to Pontianak, Kaohsiung, Pattaya and Goa. Launching exclusive connections is among the ways the airline keeps pushing boundaries, constantly raising the bar for low-cost air travel and connecting communities worldwide.
AirAsia welcomed its 100th Airbus A320 with a special dragon livery in 2012, the Year of the Dragon.
AirAsia welcomed its 100th Airbus A320 with a special dragon livery in 2012, the Year of the Dragon.
INNOVATING TRAVEL
The lucky winner of AirAsia’s Friendsy competition was given the opportunity to treat 267 friends to a return flight from Sydney to KL.
AirAsia is always at the cutting-edge of technology, employing the latest innovations to enhance guests’ travel experience. Back in 2003, just two years after its rebranding, the airline was the first in the world to introduce SMS booking. New innovations today include the airline’s mobile booking app and onboard Wi-Fi (available on selected flights but soon to go fleet-wide), which allows guests to use Twitter and instant messaging apps like WeChat, WhatsApp, KakaoTalk and LINE (via roKKi Chats). Soon, AirAsia guests will be able to stream entertainment content using their own smartphones and tablets. Plans are also underway to introduce online duty free shopping!
AirAsia became the official airline for Filipino boxing champ Manny Pacquiao.
Innovation is on-going, as the airline continues to refine its products and services. Besides self-service options that include web and kiosk check-in, as well as self tagging and self baggage drop, the airline offers Hot Seats (with Xpress Boarding, located in the forward cabin or with extra legroom) and Premium Flex, which comes with Xpress Boarding and Express Baggage – priority baggage collection on arrival. In the long-haul sector, the introduction of fully-reclinable and comfortable Premium Flatbed seats has earned AirAsia X the World’s Best Premium Cabin and Premium Seat awards from Skytrax for the past three years.
AirAsia signed former Manchester United and Queens Park Rangers football player, Park Ji Sung, as its global ambassador on December 10, 2014.
PEOPLE FIRST
AirAsia was the official airline for Taylor Swift’s THE RED TOUR in 2014.
While success is sweet, AirAsia is not all about ringgit and baht. As the ‘People’s Airline’, AirAsia is passionate about the communities it serves. While celebrating important cultural festivals with the people, the airline also commits itself to the community in times of trouble. Always on the forefront of disaster relief efforts, AirAsia has flown in aid agencies into affected areas, launched rescue missions and raised funds for rebuilding efforts wherever needed.
Rags2Riches Artisans Across Asia campaign by the AirAsia Foundation empowers artisans in Manila to sustain themselves through the creation and sale of accessories from upcycled scrap material.
When Typhoon Haiyan struck the Philippines in November 2013, AirAsia launched mercy flights and raised more than USD 2 million to assist in rebuilding efforts. In the wake of the earthquake that devastated Nepal in April, the airline once again facilitated free flights to expedite much-needed aid for the country, and ran a fund-raising campaign.
AirAsia launched the East Coast Flood Relief Campaign in December 2014 to send aid to the flood-ravaged east coast of Peninsular Malaysia.
AirAsia Foundation, AirAsia’s philanthropic arm, supports local communities in the region and beyond by awarding social enterprise or seed grants to help marginalised communities forge a sustainable future. Projects include Selaka Kotagede, a unique collaboration with Indonesian social enterprise grantee ArkomJogja, to revive one of Yogyakarta’s oldest traditional trades – silversmithing; and a tie-up with Rags2Riches, a social business enterprise committed to improving the lives of struggling Filipino artisans.
Datuk Kamarudin Meranun with Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, former Prime Minster of Malaysia, onboard an AirAsia X flight.
CHAMPIONING SPORT
AirAsia Foundation and its social enterprise grantee, ArkomJogja, helps provide capacity-building training for artisans in Yogyakarta, Indonesia.
As a dynamic airline, AirAsia has inked many exciting partnerships with big sports brands over the years. Some of the earliest include becoming the official low-fare airline of Manchester United football club and AT&T Williams Formula One team. Today, the airline works with sports icons like legendary boxer Manny Pacquiao and former footballer Park Ji Sung (AirAsia’s global ambassador).
Sir Richard Branson served on a special charity flight after losing a friendly bet to Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes on whose F1 team would do better at the 2010 Formula One Grand Prix.
The airline is also committed to nurturing sporting talent through sponsorships and coaching clinics, and has helped realise potential in budding sports talents throughout the region. From 2009 to 2014, AirAsia lent its support to motorcycle racer Zulfahmi Khairuddin as he pursued his dream of becoming the first Malaysian to race in the 125GP class of Moto3. The airline also founded the AirAsia Allstars Football Club, which recently made it into the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) League, and continues to run annual Queens Park Rangers Coaching Clinics, helping youths throughout the region develop technique and skills in the beautiful game.
A game changer in low-cost air travel, AirAsia is what it is today thanks to its dynamic leadership and passionate Allstars, but mostly because of the millions of travellers who believe in and share our dream. This month, we welcome our 300 millionth guest – another proud milestone in AirAsia’s exciting journey.
AIRASIA’S FOUNDING FATHERS
DID YOU KNOW?
- AirAsia welcomes our 300 millionth guest on board this month!
- AirAsia operates one of the youngest fleets of Airbus A320 in the world, with firm orders of 475 Airbus A320 and deliveries up till 2028
- AirAsia’s social media following includes:
8,005,339 on Facebook
3,119,539 on Twitter
1,373,816 on Weibo
