YES2009 boasts a very impressive line-up of the world’s best and most diverse speakers. However, representing Malaysia is the always popular and much respected Dato’ Seri Tony Fernandes, Group CEO of AirAsia, the largest low-carrier in Asia.
Tony is a man who is so recognisable that whenever he walks around the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal in Sepang, he is often mobbed by passengers who are dining at the airport’s eateries, just so they can take a photo with him and shake his hand to thank him for making it more affordable and efficient for them to fly.
AirAsia has become involved with youth communities in several ways over its seven-year history, primarily through its involvement with sports. AirAsia was the official low-cost carrier for Manchester United, through which AirAsia was able to send hundreds of young footballers in the region to participate in training sessions at the club’s famed ground in Manchester. As a sponsor of the AT&T Williams F1 team, AirAsia fanned the region’s interest in Formula One racing.
As a sports fan himself, Tony was very excited for his airline to sponsor the AirAsia Malaysia 125cc MotoGP team at the recent Sepang International Circuit race. The team’s two “wild card’ entries did Malaysia proud by finishing 16 and 20 in the field of 33 – the first time any “wild cards’ have earned points on the circuit. Tony is also one of the main forces behind the 1Malaysia F1 project, whose Team Lotus (of which Tony is Team principal) is slated to rev its engines in the 2010 circuit.
As a daredevil who risked buying a fledging airline with a RM40 million debt, Tony knows better than most just what the South East Asian market needs. Here, he shares with us his views on how Asia’s youth can truly change the face of tomorrow through positive leadership.
How does AirAsia see itself as a part of YES2009?
AirAsia is proud to participate in the Youth Engagement Summit 2009. AirAsia is fully supportive of efforts to affect positive change across the globe. We are excited to be a vehicle that inspires the 200 million youths in the ASEAN region to reach their full potential and be the best stewards of this world that they can be.
From your perspective, why are the youth of South East Asia so crucial for future growth?
The youths are vitally important not only because they are our future leaders but also because they play a central role in any electoral process of a democratic system. They are the ones who will lead societies to a better tomorrow.
AirAsia has always believed that Malaysians have the talent, the technical competency and the mindset to compete, all we need is the opportunity. For instance, just look at the recent MotoGP race in Sepang, where first-time young riders Elly Idzlianizar Ilias and Mohd Zulfahmi Khairuddin made our country proud in their first race. Just give Malaysians a chance, a real chance, and we can take on the best in the world.
Similarly, our creation of the 1Malaysia F1 Team is all about working together to give our youth the chance to be the leading engineers of tomorrow. This endeavour is a true Malaysian dream, fuelled by Malaysian pride and powered by Malaysian hopes and aspirations. Our F1 dream will be open to all – not just Malaysians but to everyone in the ASEAN region.
This is a lifetime achievement for all Malaysians as other countries had been bidding hard for this spot but Malaysia, through our concerted effort and strength in the true spirit of 1Malaysia managed to pull it through.
In sum, our programme is specifically designed to strengthen our industrial base, inspire our students to focus on a wide variety of skills, boost our image as a tourist destination and provide a competitive advantage for our country on the world stage.
What do you hope for young people to take away from this summit?
We hope that the youth take inspiration from AirAsia. AirAsia’s journey is a story of believing in dreams and of a team coming together to give our all to make these dreams a reality. When we launched AirAsia eight years ago as the region’s first low-cost carrier, we were dismissed as wild dreamers. But look at us now and see how far belief in our dreams – and lots of hard work – has taken us.
AirAsia has been voted the world’s best low-cost airline and is now Asia’s largest. We grew from an airline of two aircraft and 250 staff to one with almost 80 aircraft, a staff of 6,500 and 113 routes to almost 60 destinations. We achieved all these through collective efforts marked by determination and focus on our goals.
These are certainly remarkable achievements that all Malaysians are proud of. What is the belief system pushing you on?
AirAsia believes in positive change for all. Our slogan “Now Everyone Can Fly” encapsulates our determination to free air travel from the clutches of the elite and make it affordable to as many people as possible. My own goal is to serve the underserved market in ASEAN.
Our creed is simple: Believe the unbelievable. Dream the impossible. Never take no for an answer. We hope the participants at this summit will be similarly inspired to reach their own dreams – and help make the world a much better place.
“AirAsia and AirAsia X are leading the way in developing short-haul to long-haul connectivity in ways which promise to revolutionise the international marketplace.” – Peter Harbison, Executive Chairman of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA).
Exceptional achievement, brilliant innovations, and constant positive growth made AirAsia and AirAsia X joint winners of the CAPA Airline of the Year Award for 2009 at the CAPA Aviation Awards for Excellence in Beijing. Group CEO, Dato’ Sri Tony Fernandes was also conferred the CAPA Legend Award (Aviation Hall of Fame).
Peter Harbison said, “AirAsia has had another superlative year amid some of the toughest conditions to hit the airline industry. CAPA is doubly pleased that the Legend Award for 2009 was honoured to the airline’s Group CEO. Tony Fernandes is the youngest inductee into the Hall of Fame, but his impact on Asia Pacific aviation has been profound.
“The AirAsia Group is on track to handle 24 million passengers in 2009 – some 30% more than in 2008, despite the global economic slowdown. But AirAsia’s impact is much more than its generation of strong traffic growth. It is catalysing positive change in the way governments, suppliers and its rivals are thinking and acting,” he concluded.