Air Asia CEO: Malaysia is at the ‘underdog’ in the final against Vietnam

On December 6, Mr. Tony Fernandes – CEO of Air Asia participated in the Vietnam Tourism Summit Forum in Hanoi.

`The Vietnamese team has an advantage because they won 2-0 against Malaysia in the group stage. As a football fan myself, I see that Malaysia is in better and better form after each match,` he said.

The Malaysian CEO also shared his plans to add 20 flights to carry Vietnamese fans to Kuala Lumpur to watch the finals.

As one of the guests at this year’s Vietnam Tourism Summit Forum, Mr. Tony said that in Vietnam, his airline has grown by 43% in 13 years, transporting 10 million passengers.

Mr. Tony Fernandes presented a presentation on aviation infrastructure at the Vietnam Tourism Summit Forum on the morning of December 6.

Responding to VnExpress, the CEO of the world’s best low-cost airline affirmed that Vietnam’s tourism industry has the opportunity to develop as strongly as Thailand’s: `Vietnam’s potential is huge. Your country has a long history.

However, Mr. Tony assessed that people in ASEAN countries still do not know much about Vietnam, even he had never known Phu Quoc before – a destination where Air Asia is currently the first airline to operate a direct flight to Kuala Lumpur.

He expressed his desire to explore more destinations in small cities in Vietnam, with the aim of connecting flights to other countries such as Malaysia and Thailand, so that tourists have the opportunity to experience more.

`I want to bring as many tourists to Vietnam as possible, as well as bring Vietnamese passengers to explore the world,` this CEO said.

Mr. Tony Fernandes (left) and Mr. Tran Trong Kien – Hai Au Aviation Joint Stock Company (part of TMG) signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly build a new low-cost airline in Vietnam within the framework of the High-Level Forum

Mr. Tony assessed that Vietnam Airlines is currently still focusing on the business class passenger market, premium economy class and operating long-haul flights.

`Many people think that low-cost passengers often spend less. In fact, customers who buy business class tickets arrive and leave very quickly, while passengers who choose low-cost flights often stay longer and spend more on food.

Sharing more about the future development direction for Vietnamese aviation, Mr. Tony used Malaysia as an example.

`Traditional airports may be large in scale but are not really suitable for low-cost airlines. When building low-cost airports, cost savings will be greater, stimulating more users of aviation services.`

The Malaysian CEO also expressed hope that Vietnam will allow private businesses to participate in the race to develop airport infrastructure like Thailand, Malaysia, and the Philippines.

Pham Huyen – Phong Vinh