In December 2021, AirAsia celebrated the significant milestone of 20 years in operation. With innovation always in our DNA, we spent the year laying the foundations to mark yet another new era in our ongoing journey of transformation. In January 2022, we achieved shareholder approval to change the name of the investment holding company from AirAsia Group (AAGB) to Capital A – the underlying rationale being to reflect our evolution from just an airline into Asean’s leading digital travel and lifestyle company. Change is one of the few constants at Capital A and in keeping with the spirit of continuous change for the better, we have also adopted an enhanced and integrated approach to reporting. Among others, this allows us to keep our statement more personal, as all the operational and strategic aspects of our performance will be captured in the relevant sections. We hope you appreciate the changes and, as always, we welcome your feedback.

Our 20th Anniversary

It was certainly a defining moment to mark our 20th year of existence in 2021, particularly during the most challenging time in commercial aviation history. That we have made it this far, when so many thought we would never get off the ground as a low-cost carrier from the very start, is an achievement in itself. To have reached the milestone by surviving a global pandemic that has wiped out many other airlines makes it even more so. Pandemic aside, our journey over the last 20 years has been far from easy. We have faced many impediments, from natural disasters to wildly fluctuating fuel costs; aggressive competition to conservative and even oppressive regulations. Yet, in true AirAsia spirit, we overcame all of this with a fierce determination and passion that few organisations have ever manifested. It was therefore a shame that we could not celebrate our anniversary in the manner that we normally would, as many Allstars were still furloughed and most of our planes were still on the ground. However, whatever challenge or crisis we face, we always come back stronger.

What We're Most Proud Of

Of the many accomplishments we can justifiably feel proud about, three stand out. One, that we have lived up to our promise ‘now everyone can fly’ by democratising travel, making it affordable for almost everyone. Thus far, we have carried over over half a billion passengers, making dreams come true for 600 million guests, many of them first-time travellers. Secondly, we have created significant employment opportunities. From owning two aircraft when we started out to operating 243 aircraft before the pandemic, we have had to bring on board more and more people to fuel our growth. Pre-pandemic, we had more than 20,000 Allstars from all over Asean and beyond on our payroll while the spinoffs of our services created thousands more jobs in aviation, tourism and hospitality everywhere we fly to. One of our core values is to always put our people first, and we continue to provide them with more than just employment. We remain committed to help our Allstars realise both their personal and professional dreams. Breaking down traditional employment barriers, we have allowed for reskilling, upskilling and movement across functions and levels, enabling a dispatch boy to become a pilot; a cabin crew member to become a CEO… Now, we’re even training a ramp officer to become a data analyst. We were also one of the first airlines in the region to positively encourage women to become pilots. How many other airlines have had a former beauty queen fly their planes?

Datuk Kamarudin Bin Meranun
Tan Sri Tony Fernandes