Tony Fernandes: Capital A progressing with AiraAsia Aviation, super app New York listing plan

By Mohd Iswandi Kasan Anuar

DANAU TOBA, Sept 5 (Bernama) -- Capital A Bhd is progressing with plans for the listing of AirAsia Aviation Group Ltd and airasia Super App in New York.

Chief executive officer (CEO) Tony Fernandes said the company, formerly known as AirAsia Group Bhd, would probably make the announcement next year.

“We’re planning the listing of AirAsia Aviation, which is private now, and Super App, that’s progressing but we’ll make announcements in due course,” he told reporters at an event here recently.

AirAsia Aviation comprises AirAsia Malaysia, AirAsia Philippines, AirAsia Thailand and AirAsia Indonesia.

Capital A held the event at the Silangit International Airport, North Sumatra, Indonesia in conjunction with the inaugural Jakarta-Silangit flight operated by AirAsia Indonesia since Sept 1, 2022.

Meanwhile, Fernandes said the company would replace its Airbus A320, the narrow-body aircraft fleet, with a more fuel-efficient A321 on the back of resumption of the aircraft delivery in 2024.

He said 2023 is a year of getting back to its pre-COVID-19 level and regrowing in 2024 with A321, adding that aircraft deliveries up to 2029 have already been financed.

“Our first goal is to get all our 205 planes flying. We’ve 110 flying now and by the end of the year, 160 and probably in the first quarter of 2023 all of them,” he said.

Fernandes said AirAsia is also expecting to carry nearly 40 million passengers this year, about half of the numbers carried in 2019.

He said the airline’s North Asia market would recover next year as countries loosen travel restrictions with China might gradually open by the middle of next year.

“Japan is still semi-open, South Korea looks gonna be open soon and Taiwan is still closed, etc. I think by next year, we begin to recover North Asia as well,” he said.

-- BERNAMA