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Tag: airasia

  • Cebu hoteliers ink pact with AirAsia

    Cebu hoteliers ink pact with AirAsia

    Philippines AirAsia inked a partnership with the Hotel, Resort and Restaurant Association of Cebu (HRRAC) to help boost tourism and economic recovery in Cebu at a ceremony hosted last Friday.

    Under the Memorandum of Agreement, the Malaysian carrier will become the official airline partner of HRRAC’s hotel members to revitalize the tourism sector and economy of the island province.

    “Tourism stakeholders including AirAsia are united with stakeholders such as the HRRAC, the Department of Tourism and the local government unit in rebooting the tourism industry in Cebu, a vital industry that contributes to the Philippine economy,” said the airline’s CEO Ricky Isla during the signing ceremony.

    “But to succeed, we must offer travelers not just sights but also added value to their money. It is through partnerships that we provide exciting options and promos for our guests who are excited to be rediscovering Cebu as the global health situation is improving,” Isla told the Philippines News Agency.

    AirAsia will come to the table with partnership opportunities for HRRAC member companies to tap the sales potential of the airline’s a-Access, an incentive card that of holiday experiences and discounts.

    “The Covid-19 pandemic has demonstrated to the tourism industry that trust, partnership, and solidarity are essential for revitalizing travel as we anticipate the reopening of borders,” HRRAC president Alfred Reyes, who is also general manager of bai Hotel Cebu.

    Isla noted the long-term objective was to revive the meetings, incentives, conventions, and exhibitions (MICE) industry in Cebu, especially to encourage regional events to meet in Cebu once the pandemic is under control. Cebu was a top choice for MICE events, many of them Asia-wide conventions and exhibitions.

    “We aim to bring back the strong image of the Philippines as a MICE destination,” Isla concluded.

  • AirAsia readies for Sandbox opening

    AirAsia readies for Sandbox opening

    As the Thai government confirms the country will embark on a reopening phase beginning with a pilot “Sandbox project” in Phuket 1 July, airlines are planning to increase domestic flights.

    In a press statement released Tuesday, AirAsia says it is “set to paint the skies red again in support of the Phuket Tourism Sandbox programme that is also seen as the first step in welcoming international visitors to Thailand.

    Caption 1  Krid Pattanasan

    AirAsia Thailand head of government relations and secretary-general of the Airlines Association of Thailand Krid Pattanasan said: “Domestic travel will be the first to restart with the reopening of Phuket from 1 July 2021. Thai and foreign travellers who have been fully vaccinated against Covid-19 will be able to enter Phuket under strict government guidelines.

    “This initiative will soon be extended to other destinations including Chiang Mai, Krabi, Phang Nga, Pattaya and Hua Hin. AirAsia has been rigorously preparing for this much-awaited programme, and its staff are ready to welcome and facilitate guests, including by getting themselves vaccinated to ensure the safety, wellbeing and peace of mind for all guests.”

    By the end of June, over 80% of AirAsia’s staff will be fully vaccinated against Covid-19. The programme started with those who have direct contact with guests such as ground staff, cabin crew and pilots, but it is extending to those working as baggage handlers, technical crew and engineering staff are also ensured to receive the vaccine.

    In preparation to take to the skies again, AirAsia has lined up various attractive promotions to further stimulate travel. These promos will commence as soon as the government provides the green light for mass air travel to kick off.

    Caption 2 Lunchakorn Saengsiri

    Senior Cabin Crew Lunchakorn Saengsiri, as frontline staff in direct contact with guests, said receiving a full vaccination has provided great confidence when interacting with his co-workers, his family and AirAsia guests.

    He noted that despite the low frequency of flights currently, he and his colleagues have been maintaining safety and hygiene standards for every flight.  Close contact with passengers has been reduced to the minimum in accordance with state regulations, while the consumption of food and sale of goods in-flight has been completely restricted.

    Caption 3 Tapachcha Khanpimool

    For Senior Cabin Crew Tapachcha Khanpimool, most people have been adapting to the situation, and she expressed the belief that once vaccinations become widespread, air travel will quickly return especially the much anticipated domestic travel.

    “We are very excited to return to flying and have ensured that we are fully ready by protecting ourselves and staying up to date on the latest information  so that we can provide the best possible service to our guests.”

    Meanwhile, Ramp Agent Noppalit Budrath shared that despite everyone in his department having been fully vaccinated, it is crucial that the highest safety and hygiene measures continue to be observed. He said this is especially true as in the course of his duties delivering aircraft for service and to be present during landing and take-off, he would frequently come into contact with passengers.

    Caption 4 Noppalit Budrath

    AirAsia intends to increase its domestic service by 20 to 30% compared to the same period in 2020 and before the latest COVID-19 wave.

    It will fly Don Mueang-Phuket three times daily and Suvarnabhumi-Phuket once daily every Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday.

  • Rehiring everyone laid off is my priority, says AirAsia boss

    Rehiring everyone laid off is my priority, says AirAsia boss

    One of the first things Tony Fernandes wants to do after the company is back in business is to rehire every staff he had to let go during the Covid-19 crisis, even as he remains confident the airline is set to come out much stronger.

    The AirAsia Group’s CEO said having survived the last 15 months without raising capital unlike many foreign airlines was a testament to the company’s strength, and said the injection of about RM2.5 billion from various sources is imminent.

    “We made Malaysia globally recognized, we have changed travel after what I came up with within the shower, ‘Now everyone can fly’, has become a reality. So we got to win and make sure we don’t fail. Nothing is cast in stone but we are looking good,” he told BFM in an interview in its Breakfast Grille segment yesterday.

    In this context, he said, his No. 1 priority is to rehire everyone that the company has had to let go.

    “They did nothing wrong. They are great people and we are an amazing company because of our people.

    “I have a responsibility to regrow, rehire and reskill. We are doing all those things right now. The fact that we are still alive after 15 months is a testament that we have very good staff at AirAsia.”

    He was responding to a question from his host who asked if with 90% of its 200 planes grounded and with a cash balance of about RM500 million, how long the airline could survive.

    Fernandes said with vaccination being rolled out rapidly in many parts of the world and flying beginning to return to normal slowly especially in the US, he expects things to pick up soon, adding that Airbus is manufacturing more aircraft with its orders increasing.

    “And now we have new capital coming in. We got some good investors and we will be announcing them soon. I have been very consistent in saying that we will be raising about RM2.5 billion.

    “Our Thai counterparts have already raised (additional capital), while we are in the process of doing it in the Philippines and Indonesia,” he said, adding that the papers have been submitted to the regulators and announcements are expected to be made next month.

    Fernandes said some airlines had gone to raise capital at the beginning of the pandemic and had spent it all, and were forced to raise capital again.

    “We have been very frugal on how we have managed our funds. We have been spending all this time restructuring our balance sheets with our creditors. Most important thing is our creditors have been massive supporters of our business.”

    He said AirAsia will survive as there is an end in sight with the company talking to officials throughout Asean, adding that the opening of Phuket for tourists next month and the massive vaccination were signs of better times.

    He said AirAsia Group is no more just an airline with 17 digital ventures that had been set up recently.

    “We are now a holding company for digital and aviation assets. You will see the clarity of what we built very soon. We are going to be profitable here in 12 to 24 months.

    “Are we going to be the biggest in revenue? No. I am not here to lose money, but I am here to make a margin. We will grow consistently and profitability, we will be the most profitable digital company in Southeast Asia,” he said.

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  • AirAsia to add first dedicated freighter in 3Q21

    AirAsia to add first dedicated freighter in 3Q21

    AirAsia Group has announced it would significantly expand its presence on the cargo market with the planned addition of its first dedicated freighter, a B737-800(F), in the third quarter of 2021.

    The Boeing dedicated freighter will be based out of Bangkok Suvarnabhumi from where it will operate on behalf of Air Asia’s logistics arm, Teleport, to regional destinations in South-East Asia, India, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, and Hong Kong Int’l. The group did not disclose the identity or the exact variant of the aircraft. It also did not specify the Air Operator’s Certificate (AOC) on which the aircraft would be placed. ch-aviation has reached out to the group for comment.

    “It was evident at the end of last year that the demand for cargo capacity was not going to be served with passenger belly capacity alone in the long run. So, we evaluated the option to utilize dedicated freighters to transport cargo. This is also part of our strategy to build the capacity and connectivity to offer 24 hours door-to-door delivery across all of Southeast Asia,” Teleport’s Chief Operating Officer Adrian Loretz said.

    Teleport’s spokesperson Jessica Tan told ch-aviation that the aircraft will be operated by a third-party cargo airline on behalf of the logistics arm of AirAsia Group and not by any of AirAsia-branded airlines. She did not, however, disclose the identity of the operator just yet.

    The group will also remove seats from two A320-200s to use them as makeshift freighters on behalf of Teleport. One of the pair of Airbus narrowbodies will be based out of Bangkok Don Mueang and the other out of Kuala Lumpur Int’l.

    The first dedicated freighter and the two makeshift converted aircraft will complement the existing fleet of non-converted passenger aircraft used by AirAsia Group for Teleport’s operations. The holding said that last month, it had operated two A320-200s and six A330-300s for cargo-only flights on behalf of its in-house logistics arm.

  • AirAsia India Operates 9 Flights With Fully Vaccinated Crew

    AirAsia India Operates 9 Flights With Fully Vaccinated Crew

    According to the airline, the flights were operated on Friday.

    “The sectors flown by fully vaccinated crew included Bengaluru-Kolkata, Kolkata-Bengaluru, Bengaluru-Chennai, Chennai-Guwahati, Guwahati-Bengaluru, Bengaluru-Pune, Pune-Jaipur, Jaipur-Pune and Pune-Bengaluru,” the airline said in a statement.

    “The operating crew members on these sectors are fully vaccinated, having received both doses in line with guidelines from health authorities and after going through all the mandatory tests and certified by the Chief Medical Officer, Dr Sangeeta Kujur.”

    AirAsia India is a venture between Tata Sons and AirAsia Investment.

  • AirAsia boss says industry could return to normal next year

    AirAsia boss says industry could return to normal next year

    AirAsia Group Bhd’s chief executive officer said the aviation industry could return to normal next year as international borders gradually reopened, state news agency Bernama reported on Saturday.

    Tony Fernandes also called for better government policies to avoid disruptions when travel resumed, and decisions on what would be required to open up borders, including documents needed to travel.

    “I think that will be sorted out by September or October when we allow interstate travel and some international flying,” he was quoted saying in a webinar.

  • Cathay Pacific said to adopt new biz model likened to AirAsia

    Cathay Pacific said to adopt new biz model likened to AirAsia

    Cathay Pacific is planning to rebrand into a new business model that offers a wide range of products apart from just selling air tickets, according to a report. Hong Kong’s flag carrier is planning to reposition itself and adopt an “Amazon concept” that includes many businesses under the brand. Under the new plan, Cathay Pacific will become just one of the brands within the Cathay ecosystem.

    It’s reported that the senior management of the company has likened the plan to that of AirAsia, which offers a wide variety of businesses including food delivery, online groceries as well as health and insurance segments. Previously, the company rolled out an ad that shows multiple lifestyle items via email to its customers. In that email, the company said that it is “always searching for new ways to help you move forward in style – to connect you with people, places and experiences that matter.”

    It concluded with a statement: We’re going to elevate the Cathay experience you know and love into a lifestyle experience that will add to your pleasure and enjoyment. The ad ends with the name “Cathay” with “Pacific”, sparking speculation over an imminent rebrand. 

    The report cited a source familiar with this matter, saying that its executive director Ronald Lam will spearhead the effort. He once said Cathay Pacific is a retail service rather than an airline. The aviation industry has been heavily hit by the pandemic and as Hong Kong is a city with no domestic routes, Cathay’s income dropped drastically by 84% last year, resulting in a HK$21.6 billion loss (US$2.78 billion). It avoided collapse thanks to a government-led bailout worth HK$39 billion and cut thousands of jobs worldwide, including the shut down of its sister airline Cathay Dragon.

    Meanwhile, amidst the pandemic in 2020, AirAsia decided to pivot its business and realize its ASEAN super app ambition under three main pillars – travel, eCommerce, and fintech. Among the list of categories including flights, hotels, SNAP, activities, insurance, Big Rewards, unlimited deals, and wifi. The app also had a “Get it fresh” section offering groceries via its B2C platform AirAsia fresh and “Get Holla”, which allowed consumers to pay to get shout-outs from artists under RedRecords including Jannine Weigel.

    Taking its ambitions across the region, earlier this month AirAsia decided to expand its eCommerce offerings to Singapore, asking for interesting fresh produce and groceries merchants throughout the island to join its growing eCommerce delivery platform.  Merchants were invited to list their fresh produce, groceries, and sundry daily necessities on the AirAsia super app, and will be contacted by the AirAsia team within 48 hours for the next course of action.  Merchants on the AirAsia super app’s eCommerce delivery platforms can also leverage AirAsia’s marketing efforts and periodic campaigns to drive more traffic to their online stores and increase sales.

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  • Malaysia’s AirAsia X gets shareholder go-ahead for restructuring plan

    Malaysia’s AirAsia X gets shareholder go-ahead for restructuring plan

    AirAsia X Bhd shareholders have approved the Malaysian budget airline’s debt restructuring, it said on Tuesday, allowing it to pursue a scheme it viewed as key to survival.

    Shareholders of the long-haul affiliate of AirAsia Group Bhd approved all resolutions at an extraordinary general meeting, including a rights issue and a share subscription for new investors to raise 500 million ringgit.

    AirAsia X last October proposed restructuring its 64.15 billion ringgit ($15.6 billion) debt into a principal amount of 200 million ringgit and having the rest waived.

    The airline said in a separate statement that the resolutions were passed with at least a 99.8% margin, and marked a major milestone in its restructuring progress.

    “These approvals have been obtained simultaneously with final negotiations being held with creditors,” it said, adding that with advisers New York-based Seabury Capital it had been “in active and productive” talks with lessors and others.

    A Malaysian court in February granted the airline leave to convene separate meetings with its different groups of creditors within six months, to vote on its scheme.

    The meeting is scheduled for late July or August, AirAsia X said.

    In March, the court also granted AirAsia X a three-month order against any proceedings that may be filed against it, which could have slowed down its restructuring.

    Planemaker Airbus last year joined more than a dozen creditors to challenge the debt restructuring plan, telling the court it stands to lose more than $5 billion worth of orders if the scheme goes through.

    Other challengers include lessor BOC Aviation (BOCA), which called for a debt-to-equity swap.

    Airbus said it cannot comment on the airline’s ongoing restructuring plan, while BOCA did not immediately respond to an emailed query seeking comment.

    AirAsia X in February proposed a separate restructuring program for its aircraft lessors that aims to address their concerns about forward commercial agreements and the viability of the airline’s business after recapitalization.

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  • AirAsia’s digital businesses to become Asean’s leading super app

    AirAsia’s digital businesses to become Asean’s leading super app

    AIRASIA Group Bhd’s non-airline digital travel and lifestyle platform is now considered one of the region’s top three online travel agencies (OTAs), while AirAsia’s e-wallet BigPay is set to become the first virtual bank and its delivery service Teleport is strengthening.

    During the group’s first quarter of 2021 (1Q21) financial performance announcement on May 27, AirAsia’s super app posted a 45% year-on-year (YoY) increase in its revenue to RM10 million, supported by solid growth of products and services available on the platform.

    Teleport’s revenue tripled compared to its 1Q20 performance.

    AirAsia group CEO Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes stated that just as the carrier revolutionized air travel 20 years ago in the region with its low-cost model, AirAsia now aims to disrupt and democratize the lifestyle industry through the development of its super app, with over 17 travel and lifestyle products leveraging off one another.

    “In just over a year, we are now one of the top three leading OTAs in Asean based on website traffic, with over 100 million average page views monthly on airasia.com.

    “In the future, when travel resumes in our key markets, we can guarantee best value prices for our flight and hotel packages because we own our airline,” he explained in a press release last Friday.

    Expansion of its popular products and services in its Asean markets for its super app is in the pipeline.

    “We are working on expanding our health services in Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines, while offering SNAP hotel and accommodation deals in Vietnam and Singapore in the near future,” Fernandes noted.

    He added that Teleport is now delivering vaccines across Malaysia and the Asean region, and has created more than 4,000 delivery driver jobs in 17 key markets.

    “We are also looking forward to converting passenger planes into freighters in the coming months to cater for unprecedented cargo demand,” he informed.

    Fernandes added that the group has plans to improve its BigPay e-wallet service to become the best virtual bank in Asean.

    “We are tapping into the full potential of our loyalty platform, BIG Rewards, to provide the best range for rewards and redemption in Asean and beyond.

    “Through our digital ecosystem, we have already created thousands of jobs and supported more than 3,500 small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in Malaysia.

    “Our training centre, AirAsia Academy (currently known as Redbeat Academy), offers affordable digital and tech training courses to equip not only our own employees, but also SMEs and members of the public, with skills to bridge the technology gap in Malaysia and beyond in this ever-changing digital world,” he explained. The group’s other non-airline businesses such as AirAsia Food, AirAsia Fresh, AirAsia Shop and its Santan franchise restaurants are also penetrating new markets.

    “We saw the crisis as an opportunity to use the downtime in flying caused by the Covid-19 pandemic to leverage the strength of our database of over 60 million customers and to focus on developing new non-airline revenue streams in the key areas of e-commerce, fintech and logistics,” Fernandes commented.

    In the pipeline are innovations such as ride-hailing “AirAsia Ride”, which will be launched in the coming months, as well as the potential of deliveries using drones.

    The group is also planning for electric or hydronic aeroplanes to meet consumer’s sustainability needs.

    In the airline business space, Asia Digital Engineering Sdn Bhd (ADE) aims to become one of the region’s best value aircraft maintenance and overhaul providers for both short-term line maintenance and longer-term base maintenance services, a space previously dominated by Singapore-based maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) companies.

    “I firmly believe ADE will become the leading aircraft MRO company in the region in the near future, with significant potential growth opportunities in Asean and beyond with service excellence and lowest cost base,” he added.

    AirAsia is also working to launch more contactless technologies to make flying a seamless and hygienic experience when it resumes.

    This includes a digital passport called Scan2Fly where passengers can upload required medical documentation and have it verified in real time online before heading to the airport.

    AirAsia will be introducing FACES, its biometric facial recognition technology, at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 which will then be rolled out across all its key destinations.

    “There is a silver lining to every crisis and the best thing to come out of this pandemic is our recovery as a stronger, more resilient travel and lifestyle platform — not solely reliant on airfares alone anymore,” said Fernandes.

    The “new look” AirAsia, he noted, would be embarking on an exciting new phase of growth with the right focus and foundations to better meet the needs of the digital revolution.

    Fernandes stressed the group will remain true to its promise to deliver high quality service and make it affordable to fly, stay, shop, eat and upskill.

    AirAsia Group posted a net loss of RM767.42 million for 1Q21, as the group continued to suffer from the curbs on travel imposed by governments in many countries over the period.

    Revenue fell to RM298.22 million in the period as passenger load factor slumped 90% to 976,968 passengers compared to 9.8 million passengers recorded in the same period last year across its main markets of Malaysia, Indonesia and the Philippines.

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  • Malaysia’s AirAsia X posts record quarterly loss, eighth in a row

    Malaysia’s AirAsia X posts record quarterly loss, eighth in a row

    Malaysian long-haul budget airline AirAsia X Bhd reported a record loss for the first three months of the year and its eighth quarterly loss in a row as the coronavirus pandemic devastated demand for air travel.

    The airline, an affiliate of AirAsia Group Bhd on Thursday reported a net loss of 5.67 billion ringgit ($1.37 billion) in January-March, more than 10 times the loss of 549.7 million ringgit seen in the same period last year.

    The loss was primarily attributable to the impairment of assets, it said in a statement.

    AirAsia said it has assessed the recoverability of its assets in light of the COVID-19 pandemic and its restructuring process and impaired those assets by 5.28 billion ringgit.

    The airline has been looking to reconstitute 64.15 billion in debt, and said the asset impairment does not impact the restructuring.

    “Appropriate accounting entries will be made on a successful restructuring that will reflect more appropriately the assets and liabilities based on the final agreed restructuring terms,” it said.

    It also said it remains committed to resuming commercial operations as soon as possible on the successful completion of the restructuring plan and the opening of international borders.

    The airline has changed its financial year-end from Dec. 31 to June 30, expecting the outcome of the restructuring to be known then. It said the basis of preparation for its audited financial statements will clear and be of more value to shareholders at that point.

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  • Thai AirAsia eyes year-end international restart amid worsening financial results

    Thai AirAsia eyes year-end international restart amid worsening financial results

    Thai low-cost carrier Thai AirAsia has warned that the third wave of coronavirus infections in April will impact its profitability, as it sank deeper in the red amid plunging revenue.

  • Karen Chan to relinquish role as CEO of AirAsia.com

    Karen Chan to relinquish role as CEO of AirAsia.com

    Karen Chan, CEO of AirAsia.com, is stepping down from her position more than a year after she was appointed. A+M understands that chief commercial officer Amanda Woo will be taking over her position and that today is Chan’s last day. A+M has reached out to Chan (pictured) and AirAsia for a comment.

    Chan joined AirAsia in 2019 as a group chief commercial officer during which she was responsible for driving profitability and growth across markets it operates in, her LinkedIn said. During that same year, AirAsia redesigned its mobile app to include features such as new booking flow and interactive search map; flight chat rooms; exclusive content and deals; and seamless access to boarding pass via the Apple e-wallet. At the start of 2020, Chan was promoted to CEO of AirAsia.com to lead the business transformation of the airline into a travel and lifestyle platform.

    Close to a year later, the airline launched its super app and Chan told A+M previously that a super app is more than just a digital marketplace of products. It is where commerce meets the community. Having expanded its core identity as an airline into over 15 product lines, Chan explained that it is prepared to take on the incumbents of the online travel agency and lifestyle players.

    Before joining AirAsia, Chan was SVP of digital, Asia Pacific, Middle East and Africa at Clarks for close to two years. Prior to that, she led regional digital marketing efforts for Pizza Hut, Domino’s Pizza and Coca-Cola.

    AirAsia’s super app claims to offer a simpler, faster and more convenient user experience with over 15 types of products and services under three main pillars – travel, eCommerce and fintech. The list of categories included flights, hotels, SNAP, activities, insurance, Big Rewards, unlimited deals and wifi. Separately, it also entered the food delivery scene last year, expanding to various cities within Malaysia and even to Singapore.

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  • Thai AirAsia plans IPO for capital injection by new investor

    Thai AirAsia plans IPO for capital injection by new investor

    Thai AirAsia’s parent company has disclosed a corporate and capital restructuring plan for the airline, which involves listing it on the Stock Exchange of Thailand (SET) to accept a Bt3.15 billion ($100 million) loan from a new investor.

    Asia Aviation’s board approved the plan on 26 April, it says in a 27 April SET filing.

    The new investor is not connected to Asia Aviation or Thai AirAsia and will provide the funds in the form of a convertible loan agreement or convertible bonds with zero-coupon issued at par, with an approximately three-year term.

    This will be convertible to ordinary shares in Thai AirAsia at an agreed conversion price of about Bt20.4 per share. The conversion period is expected to be after Thai AirAsia receives approval for an initial public offering.

    Should the investor opt not to convert the loan or bonds into shares, it will hold the investment, which bears 3% interest, until maturity as a creditor.

    Asia Aviation says the investor is currently conducting due diligence and expects to complete the process in mid-May.

    It states that the investor wishes to invest directly in Thai AirAsia rather than through holding shares in Asia Aviation. Taking the airline public would also “increase the opportunities for Thai AirAsia to raise funds by itself rather than being dependent on [Asia Aviation] for fundraising”.

    Concurrently, Asia Aviation plans to convert its shareholders into direct shareholders of Thai AirAsia. This entails dissolving and liquidating Asia Aviation and the company says its board has yet to approve this.

    Asia Aviation holds shares equivalent to 55% of Thai AirAsia’s paid-up capital while AirAsia Investment, which is also the airline’s major creditor, holds shares representing 45%.

    Asia Aviation expects the new investor to hold 11.4% of Thai AirAsia X’s expanded shares issued after it goes public.

  • AirAsia Beauty launches in Malaysia and Indonesia as part of expansion plan

    AirAsia Beauty launches in Malaysia and Indonesia as part of expansion plan

    AirAsia.com’s Super App has launched its latest AirAsia Beauty product offering in Malaysia and Indonesia. Acknowledging the growing market demand for beauty and skincare products, AirAsia beauty has revealed a rapid expansion plan within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

    AirAsia Beauty has curated a range of products including skincare catering to all skin-types and fragrances, bath and body supplements for pampering.

    Accessible via the AirAsia super app (under the beauty tab) and at airasia.com/beauty, the platform features a wide range of brands including History of Whoo, Dr. Morita, Mediheal, The Mineraw, farmskin, Clio, Dashing Diva and Cosrx.

    AirAsia beauty currently delivers within Klang Valley, Malaysia and Jakarta, Indonesia by Teleport, AirAsia digital’s logistics venture.

    Lim Ben-Jie, Head of Commerce, AirAsia Super App said: “E-Commerce and home shopping has now become part of our daily life. From our experience with AirAsia shop, we observed remarkable demand for our beauty products, and we decided to carve out AirAsia beauty as a standalone service, offering authentic beauty products delivered to your doorstep.

    “We hope to share our products to the people of Asean by leveraging on AirAsia’s unique internal talent, none other than our cabin crew and grooming instructors who are the perfect beauty ambassadors. Beauty is part of their everyday regime and they are experts on always looking great and flawless.

    “The addition of AirAsia beauty will further diversify our Super App lifestyle offering, bringing us a step closer to becoming Asean’s leading one-stop lifestyle and travel app.”

    AirAsia beauty is currently offering up to 50% off selected brands and free delivery within Klang Valley. Shoppers can also pay with BIG Points to save more and earn BIG Points each time they spend on AirAsia beauty.

    Ben-Jie added: “With AirAsia beauty, consumers can look forward to an integrated online shopping experience supported by real personal beauty tips, product reviews, and favorite picks from our Allstars and other users.

    “Beauty is a continuous journey; besides providing consumers with the best items for their skin and delivering them to their doorstep, we are also here to give more resources in helping one to become their best self.

    “Kicking off in the Klang Valley in Malaysia and Jakarta in Indonesia, we have plans for nationwide expansion in Malaysia, Indonesia and other Asean markets. We are working closely with various brands to introduce new products and exclusive bundles soon, so stay tuned for more exciting developments from AirAsia beauty.”

  • AirAsia launches airasia money, partners RinggitPlus to provide loan application services in app

    AirAsia launches airasia money, partners RinggitPlus to provide loan application services in app

    AirAsia Bhd has expanded its airasia super app to provide financial products and services under the “airasia money” banner, beginning with a partnership with financial comparison platform RinggitPlus.

    Through its partnership with the platform, airasia money currently provides credit card and loan application services. The financial marketplace will also allow users to obtain the best personal finance news, information, guidance and make the best choices for their immediate needs.

    Today’s launch of airasia money, said AirAsia Group Bhd chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, marks the final piece of the puzzle for the airasia super app, a concept that was aggressively pushed since October 2020.

    “airasia money is the third vertical after travel and e-commerce. It is the last piece of our app, and with this, the plan for our digital app is virtually complete and is set to grow from strength to strength moving forward,” Fernandes said at the launch today.

    Targeting millennials, the platform will soon also include an array of other financial products for insurance, investments, top-ups, gaming credits, as well as other services including remittance and zakat payments, said head of airasia money Mohamad Hafidz Mohd Fadzil.

    “Elsewhere, the expertise provided by other platforms have been very product-specific, be [it] loans, insurance and the like, as opposed to a channel that provides simplicity and bundled propositions.

    “There must be something for everyone with airasia money,” said Mohamad Hafidz. “The goal is to provide bite-sized financial solutions that are curated through fintech assets as well as external strategic partners like RinggitPlus,” he said.

    “While AirAsia was democratizing the airline industry, we at RinggitPlus have talked about democratizing the finance industry, to offer banking and insurance products that anyone could apply,” RinggitPlus co-founder and CEO Siew Yuen Tuck said.

    “The opportunity to bring the two brands together with a shared vision to help Malaysians make better financial decisions and get easier access to financial products is really a dream come true, and we thank the AirAsia team for making this happen,” Siew said.

    Following today’s launch in Malaysia, airasia money is also set to launch in Singapore in 2Q21, the Philippines in 3Q21, and Thailand in 4Q21 with localized offerings that cater to the different needs of the different markets, said Mohd Hafidz. AirAsia’s other financial services include e-wallet platform BigPay and Tune Insurance under sister company Tune Protect Group Bhd.

    At the time of writing, AirAsia was down two sen or 2.2% to 89 sen, valuing the group at RM3.39 billion.