Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – AirAsia Group Berhad, the Malaysian-based multinational company consisting of multiple endeavours from its low-cost airline to its super-app, has announced a corporate brand refresh with a new group name: Capital A. Said rebranding reflects the groups’ new core business strategy as an investment holding company with a portfolio of synergistic travel and lifestyle businesses.
It should be recalled that the announcement of the rebrand was first made through a filing on Bursa Malaysia, the stock exchange in Malaysia, on 28 December 2021.
For Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia, now Capital A, the rebrand is not just about unveiling a new logo and name but rather celebrating a significant milestone that marks a new era for the Group. He also added that the announcement reinforces that they are no longer just an airline anymore.
“While the airline will always underpin the AirAsia brand, it has long been my firm intention, well before COVID hit, to leverage the strong data we have built up over 20 years and incorporate industry-leading new technologies to offer a broad range of products and services, over and above selling just airfares. The pandemic has allowed us to accelerate that strategy,” Fernandes said.
He also added that the group has continuously evolved based on driving innovation and meeting ever-changing consumer demand, stating that the strategy behind the change of name is to introduce a new corporate identity that better reflects the Group’s core businesses today and its future undertakings, in tandem with our rapid transformation from an airline into a one-stop digital travel and lifestyle services group.
Fernandes believes that the new company name will also further enhance the marketability of their products and boost the success of the Group for the long haul.
“Essentially Capital A is an investment company with a broad portfolio of businesses which all deliver the best value at the lowest cost, supported by strong data built up over two decades. We also have one of Asia’s leading brands to ride on, a strong people-first culture and an underlying promise of remaining committed to serving the underserved in all that we do. Just like what the airline has done from day one, all of our different lines of business will deliver the same strategy that is underscored by doing what we do best – making travel and everyday lifestyle services affordable, accessible and inclusive to all,” Fernandes explained.
In regards to the group’s airline service, Fernandes clarified that the airline won’t be changing its name, stating that it is one of the strongest brands in Asia and provides a solid platform for all of their other products and services to leverage from each other.
“Even though the last two years have been the most difficult and disrupted years in the history of commercial aviation, I welcome the year ahead with much greater confidence. Domestic air travel has already started to rebound in our key markets. While there may be some delays for international flights to return to pre-Covid levels due to the Omicron variant, I believe this will be short-lived as many global health experts are also predicting, alongside accelerated vaccines and booster shots as well as the world gradually learning to live with COVID,” he added.
Capital A aims to hit multiple visions by 2026, which includes its airlines connecting over 1 billion people in ASEAN, its airasia Super App being the super app of choice in ASEAN, 10 million monthly active users for their digital bank BigPay, 5 million sign ups for its edutech arm AirAsia Academy, and over 21 million monthly orders on airasia grocer, its online grocery service.
The company has long expanded its portfolio of companies and projects, from its venture to e-commerce, ride-hailing, and digital banking, towards lifestyle endeavors such as its super app, a record collaboration called Red Records, and its VTuber agency project, Project Kavvaii.
