Decision on AirAsia India soon?

Completing 19 years in the aviation industry, AirAsia is now looking to move to new horizons. From its partnership with TATA Group to expansion in its stronghold of Southeast Asia, Tony Fernandes, Group CEO, AirAsia shares it all.

Sharing his views on AirAsia’s journey in the aviation industry in the last two decades at a conversation during CAPA Live, Tony Fernandes says it’s been an interesting ride. “We are entering our 19th year and it’s been a ride. It’s a never ending story, and COVID is just another chapter in an incredible ride. COVID is giving us a chance to look at our plans. A lot of the things that we couldn’t do, we have stepped back, restructured, re-looked at where we may have gone wrong, where we may have lost some of the original AirAsia business plan, and we put it back in place. We feel we are going to come back stronger in 2021. This is just another chapter in that never ending story of AirAsia,” he explains.

On its business in India and all the speculations going around about the Malaysian airline not showing interest in continuing to put money in India, Fernandes says that India is a competitive market and it is ‘tough’ for outsiders to come in. “We have had fantastic partner in India, I couldn’t have asked for better partners than the TATA Group. Now, it’s like, let’s know where we are strong, where we are good at, let’s not have an ego and and if things don’t feel right, then we look at other options. We are in discussions with the TATAs right now. Obviously, we have exited Japan because we were too small  and COVID put final nails in that coffin,” he says.

Insisting that an official announcement is around the corner, he says, “So what are we strong at? We’re strong in Southeast Asia. That’s our sweet spot. India has been fantastic because we built a lot of connectivity to India, which our brand wouldn’t have been well known without AirAsia India. But whether we should put money to continue in India or to expand in ASEAN, that’s a discussion I am having with my partners in India and imminently, I am sure there will be some announcements one way or the other.”