By Karen Bong
KUCHING, June 25: Minister of Tourism, Creative Industry, and Performing Arts Sarawak Dato Sri Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah hopes AirAsia will continue to contribute to Sarawak’s development following its recognition as the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2024 for a historic 15th consecutive year.
AirAsia Group’s Deputy Group CEO, Datuk Captain Chester Voo, made the award announcement during his keynote address at the Positioning Sarawak as a Key Tourism Hub in Asean seminar, jointly organised by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM), AirAsia, and Malaysia Transport Institute of UiTM Shah Alam at a hotel here today.
Congratulating AirAsia for another achievement, Abdul Karim hopes the airliner will continue to grow in Sarawak, providing job opportunities to Sarawakians and helping the business community thrive.
“This is no easy feat, especially to maintain such a long winning streak, but it is definitely a big achievement.
“We also look forward to working together with AirAsia and all stakeholders in the tourism industry to realise our mission, as outlined by the seminar – Positioning Sarawak as a key tourism hub in Asean,” he emphasised.
According to a media release, AirAsia began in 2001 when Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and Datuk Kamarudin Meranun bought an ailing airline with two aircraft and 200 staff, transforming it into the fourth largest in Asia with more than 200 aircraft and 21,000 staff across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines, Cambodia and more.
Driven by the purpose of redefining air travel in the Asean by providing affordability, inclusivity and accessibility, AirAsia is among the foremost in the region, championing connectivity and the revitalisation of tourism across the region.
In accepting the award at a ceremony in London on Monday (June 24), Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes highlighted that Skytrax champions global standards for airline quality and excellence, and AirAsia is thrilled to have risen to this benchmark for the 15th consecutive year.
“No other companies come to my mind in having achieved such a winning streak, and we are very proud of it. Our guests mean the world to us, and we are reinvigorated by the confidence they have shown by voting for us again. We look forward to continuing to serve many millions more this year alone, with high quality at the best cost,” he said.
AirAsia’s commitment to enhancing the guest experience is underpinned by its world-class safety standards and ongoing operational improvements thanks to the robust ecosystem that has been built to support the airline business, including engineering services, in-flight catering, cargo and logistics, ground operations, and others.
Leveraging its 23-year track record of disruptive multi-hub operations in Asia, AirAsia continues to deliver solid improvements in customer experience thanks to continual enhancements in the booking and journey touchpoints, as well as innovative ancillary services.
Additionally, the ongoing reactivation of its fleet and the delivery of new aircraft in the coming months will enable AirAsia to explore new destinations, potentially expanding routes across Africa and Europe.
Tony dedicated this award to AirAsia Allstars and its loyal guests, adding: “AirAsia is made up of thousands of dreamers, all working towards the single vision of ensuring that everybody can fly. Since our inception, AirAsia has strived to be ahead of the curve, taking the challenging path to redefine and democratise access to air travel, and it is inspiring to witness the growth of this industry over the years.
“We acknowledge the challenges as we continue to rebuild the airline from the worst crisis in aviation history, but today, we’ve emerged stronger. Travel is back, the sky’s the limit, and we are hard at work to be even bigger and better than ever. See you on board soon,” he added. — DayakDaily
