AirAsia to Focus on Digitalization, China and ASEAN

30th May 2017

Speaking about what’s next for the biggest budget carrier in Asia, AirAsia executives Tony Fernandes, Aireen Omar and Spencer Lee all agreed that the focus should be on making sure that the passenger’s personal needs are met. This, they believe, is best achieved through digitalization.

AirAsia CEO Aireen Omar said:

Our current focus is digitalization. We recognize the potential of leveraging in the vast data from our 369 million passengers over the last 15 years, to be able to connect better and further enhance their experience. By studying our data that we have collected over the years, we’ll be able to offer this to our guests.

She also added that digitalization will help AirAsia decrease its expenditure by “automating more operations and integrating all operational data”.

Explaining how data-driven marketing will be used to target China, after AirAsia signed a MoU for a JV to set up a new LCC here, Spencer Lee, AirAsia Commercial Director said:

China is a key market for AirAsia. Peering back into the past, our first maiden flight to China was from Kuala Lumpur to Macau, way back in 2004. Today, AirAsia flies to more than 15 destinations in China alone, and we definitely have plans to cover more cities in the pipeline. Whilst we have been successful as a brand, we do not have the luxury of burning cash to pursue every opportunity at our doorstep. At AirAsia, we use data to evaluate options that allow us to focus on maximizing impact, whilst consuming minimum resources.

Finally, AirAsia Group CEO and President Tony Fernandes spoke about the carrier’s plans to expand further in the ASEAN:

Our ASEAN story continues with our impending JV with Vietnam, and recently I’ve returned from Cambodia where the Cambodian government is very excited to offer us a 100% license,” said Fernandes. Apart from ASEAN, Fernandes said with its latest JV in China in which he hopes will launch in a ‘not so distance’ future, the airline will have the two biggest countries in Asia – India and China, in addition to its upcoming launch in Japan which is expected to start operations in the second half of this year.