KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Group Bhd (AirAsia) lauded any efforts in making the local aviation industry efficient, amid the integration of the Malaysian Aviation Commission (MAVCOM) with the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM).
Founder and group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the low-cost carrier (LCC) would support the government’s decision “if it helps the (aviation) industry to reduce costs and increase efficiency”.
"AirAsia’s business model is simple - to reduce fare, airport tax, transport charges and deals.
"Whatever the government does, if it helps the industry to reduce cost and increase efficiency, I am in support," he responded to the New Straits Times query after launching AirAsia Bundle Deals here today.
Fernandes said AirAsia would have supported the government’s move if it had planned to retain MAVCOM as long as the ‘fee and cost’ were reduced.
"If it means merging (MAVCOM-CAAM) which will make the industry more efficient, then we should support it.
"I can only take what the minister (Transport Minister Anthony Loke) said as he feels the industry being downgraded - it will be more efficient to have one authority as most countries in the world have that one leading aviation authority,” he said, adding that it was up to the government to decide.
AirAsia’s travel and lifestyle platform, airasia.com today launched AirAsia Bundle Deals, a lifestyle platform that offers bundle deals with discounts.
airasia.com chief executive officer Karen Chan said the company envisioned to being beyond just an airline, offering travel, lifestyle, logistics, financial services and more to cater to customers’ lifestyle needs.
"Customers will be indulged with deals such as free hair cut, free facial, free manicure and many buy-one-free-one deals made available in different locations.
"Currently available only in Kuala Lumpur, soon it will be expanded to other cities and countries including Penang, Singapore, Thailand and beyond,” Chan said.
“The AirAsia Bundle Deals is not only limited to the general public who visits airasia.com, but in the next phase, we will have a corporate reward solution and corporate purchases for organizations that would like to reward employees,” she said.