Tag: Capital A

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – AirAsia Rewards, the loyalty and rewards platform of Capital A has taken a significant step in expanding its offerings by introducing a plug-and-play loyalty solution for businesses, which aims to enable businesses especially SMEs streamline and enhance their rewards programs, fostering stronger customer engagement and retention. 

MILK Baby Diapers, a baby care brand in the region, is the first diaper brand to partner with AirAsia Rewards to leverage this solution. This partnership strengthens AirAsia Rewards’ position as a loyalty solutions partner by enabling businesses to streamline and enhance their rewards programs. 

The partnership also enhances MILK’s commitment to providing exceptional value to parents while strengthening its position as an innovative disruptor in the baby care industry. It also expands redemption options and drives greater customer engagement within the AirAsia MOVE ecosystem.

Through this partnership, MILK Baby Diapers’ customers can earn and redeem AirAsia points, making every purchase more rewarding. The integration is designed to be seamless and efficient, ensuring a smooth experience for both businesses and their customers. This launch marks AirAsia Rewards’ continuous efforts to onboard more businesses into its growing network.

For Capital A, loyalty and rewards programs have become essential for businesses to remain competitive in today’s market. With AirAsia Rewards offering a ready-to-deploy solution, SMEs can now access a l tool to boost customer retention and engagement. This partnership not only enhances the appeal of AirAsia Rewards but also reinforces its position as a leader in the loyalty ecosystem.

Nicole Tan, head of AirAsia Rewards, said, “We are thrilled to welcome MILK Baby Diapers as the baby diaper partner in our loyalty solutions program. This collaboration not only strengthens our position as a loyalty solutions provider but also underscores our commitment to supporting businesses small and big with innovative tools to enhance customer engagement. By joining the AirAsia Rewards ecosystem, MILK Baby Diapers can now offer their customers even greater value and convenience.”

Meanwhile, John Teoh, chief commercial officer at Flying Baby Sdn. Bhd., commented, “Partnering with AirAsia Rewards aligns perfectly with our mission to provide the best value and experience for our customers. By integrating with the AirAsia MOVE app, we can now reward our loyal customers more effectively while reaching a broader audience within the vibrant AirAsia ecosystem.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – AirAsia brand co. (Abc.), which manages Capital A’s intellectual property (IP), has teamed up with Moonbug Entertainment and MiraiLab to expand its character and entertainment IP. The partnership aims to promote AirAsia Buds, AirAsia’s IP of animal characters.

Through the collaboration, Abc. aspires to build lifestyle and entertainment content to extend AirAsia Buds’ recognition globally. It is part of Abc.’s goal to extend its influence in various industries.

Moonbug Entertainment, the company behind shows like Cocomelon and Blippi, will work with Abc. to create a 12-episode animated series. The series will tell the adventures of AirAsia Buds, catering to young audiences. It will be released by 2025 via YouTube.

Meanwhile, MiraiLab will represent AirAsia Buds’ IP for licensing, events and merchandising. 

AirAsia Buds consists of animal characters named Tappy, the thrill-seeking tapir, Bam the foodie pygmy elephant, Ogu the trendy orangutan, and Biggie the mischief-making deal hunter from another planet.

“We are thrilled to bring AirAsia Buds to life with our creative expertise and talent. Families are co-viewing in new ways globally on YouTube, and this new project allows us to combine our passion for producing great family content with AirAsia’s brand as an essential travel companion,” Simon Barnett, director of advertising sales and brand partnerships of APAC at Moonbug Entertainment, shared.

Izal Azlee, head of IP development at Abc., said, “The more conversations we had with Moonbug, the clearer it was that they understood our vision for AirAsia Buds. Moonbug is not just one of the best in kid-friendly entertainment—their team is also passionate about characters and stories, and we are excited to partner with them to bring AirAsia Buds to a new and wider audience.”

“For 23 years, the AirAsia brand has proudly championed Asean and embodied the spirit of ‘Dare to Dream’. Partnering with MiraiLab, we will continue this narrative by bringing to life the stories of AirAsia Buds through real-life experiences and exciting merchandise that you can own and love, embodying the values that AirAsia believes in. Through innovative merchandising and marketing, we’re able to create deeper, more meaningful connections with audiences, allowing AirAsia Buds to inspire and engage in a way that reflects the heart of the AirAsia brand across diverse markets and experiences,” Remi Helmay, head of licensing and merchandising of Abc. said.

Ben Lee, managing director of MiraiLab, said, “We are deeply honoured to collaborate with AirAsia brand co. (Abc.) in creating the new and proudly Malaysian intellectual property, AirAsia Buds. This exciting venture marks a significant milestone for our brand and Asean, as we aim to showcase the region’s rich cultural diversity and creativity through the AirAsia Buds IP. By leveraging our market acumen and decades of operational expertise, we are committed to bringing these delightful characters to life.”

“Through a holistic and innovative strategy, we aspire to make AirAsia Buds a unique and memorable intellectual property that captivates audiences worldwide. Together, we look forward to imbuing these charming characters with dynamic energy and irresistible appeal, ensuring they resonate with fans across all age groups. As partners, we set out to create a legacy with the AirAsia Buds IP that highlights the vibrant creativity of Malaysian and Asean intellectual property on a global platform,” Lee concluded.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – airasia academy, Capital A’s digital edtech company, has recently rebranded as ‘Outclass’, a learning experience platform designed to enable individuals to develop in a changing workforce context. 

Outclass expands on airasia academy’s tradition of bridging the computer skills gap, it now provides a personalised learning experience to assist users in achieving their career goals.

Individuals and organisational leadership can use Outclass as a tool to meet talent development needs, enable worker potential, and get ready for a changing market. With aspirations to grow into in-demand fields like sustainability and ESG through a relationship with the United Nations Global Compact (UNGC), it now provides fifteen career options in the technology industry. 

Outclass also stands in contrast to typical Learning Management Systems (LMS) with its full Learning Experience Platform (LXP). This versatile platform meets both individual and organisational needs. For individuals, Outclass uses the Big Five OCEAN-based personality test, co-developed with experts from Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Ethnic Studies (UKM KITA), to personalise the learning journey and empower career growth by matching learners with the most appropriate career tracks.

The platform creates a highly dynamic environment by creating performance-based goals, providing analytical dashboards, and issuing certificates. For businesses, Outclass provides flexible, and scalable LXP solutions with white-labelling possibilities. 

YB Gobind Singh Deo, Minister of Digital Malaysia, said, “The Ministry of Digital Malaysia is honoured to witness the launch of Outclass today, a pivotal step in advancing digital reskilling and upskilling in Malaysia. This initiative is a testament to our unwavering commitment to equipping the nation’s talent with the digital competencies to thrive in a rapidly evolving landscape. Outclass will serve as a beacon of opportunity, providing tailored courses that meet the needs of our digital economy. The ministry commends Capital A for its steadfast support and dedication to driving digital inclusion and education, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact Outclass will have on shaping the future of our workforce as we thrive in IR4.0.”

Meanwhile, Aireen Omar, president (Investment & Ventures) Capital A and executive director of Outclass, said, “As we launch Outclass, we are excited to introduce a revolutionary platform designed to empower individuals and businesses alike. Outclass personalises the learning experience, leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to recommend the best career paths based on your personality, ambitions, and skills. Soon, Outclass will be available across Asean, starting with Singapore, Thailand, the Philippines, and Indonesia, inspiring and equipping a new generation of professionals to excel and shape the future.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Malaysian aviation and travel services group and parent company of AirAsia, Capital A, has recently announced that it has entered into a non-binding letter of offer with AirAsia X Berhad (AAX) for the proposed disposal of its aviation businesses, which makes up AirAsia Berhad (AirAsia Malaysia) and AirAsia Aviation Group Limited (AirAsia subsidiaries in Thailand, Indonesia, Philippines, and Cambodia).

The strategic move is aimed at streamlining the group and facilitating a business-centric valuation of the separate entities, potentially unlocking greater value to shareholders, and aiming to create a pure play entity that aligns with market preferences. 

In a press release, AirAsia stated that it is confident that by separating the aviation business from Capital A, the non-aviation businesses within the group, which we feel are currently undervalued by the market, will also be recognised for their intrinsic value and potential. 

Capital A’s companies, including Teleport (logistics), Capital A Aviation Services (MRO and Inflight), and MOVE digital, will also be raising capital, offering shareholders an uplift on their Capital A shares, complemented by shares in the enlarged aviation group under proposed shares distribution. 

Following the sale of the aviation business, Capital A shareholders will become shareholders of the two listed companies.

With the completion of the aviation disposal, Capital A is committed to presenting a comprehensive PN17 regularisation plan by June 2024. Furthermore, Capital A is dedicated to transparent communication and will provide all stakeholders with detailed information throughout this process.

Regarding this, Tony Fernandes, CEO of Capital A, said, “All businesses across Capital A have been thriving and we are ready to grow. We need to raise funds for business expansion, but gaining access to capital has been challenging due to Capital A’s Practice Note 17 (PN17) status. We have been engaging committed investors who have expressed a strong preference for a pure aviation play.”

Talking about the disposal, Fernandes mentioned, “To address this and to ensure a robust financial injection, we are strategically pursuing the sale of the aviation business to AAX to create an aviation pure play, consolidating both long and short-haul airlines under the AirAsia brand, subject to the negotiation of a definitive share sale and purchase agreement and its completion.”

“Following the disposal, the aviation business is poised to benefit from focused management and a well-defined strategic direction, which will boost the aviation business’s capacity to seize growth opportunities, expand market share, and ultimately achieve enhanced profitability,” he added.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – airasia Digital, the digital arm of Capital A, has announced its rebrand to MOVE Digital, or simply MOVE. This rebranding marks an exciting chapter in its next phase of growth through both its businesses, airasia Superapp and BigPay. 

Following this, airasia Superapp will also undergo a brand refresh and change its name to ‘airasia move’ in the near future as part of the ongoing transformation.

Through the rebranding effort, AirAsia co-founder and Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes will serve as MOVE’s executive chairman. He will play a pivotal role in driving the close collaboration between both airasia Superapp (now airasia move) and BigPay to unlock the true potential and synergy of these digital businesses. 

“The name MOVE signifies us better as the digital arm of Capital A, and reiterates our commitment to move people, ideas and innovation forward within the travel space. Imagine seamless access to travel and financial services on one single platform, with integrated financial features such as balance display, top-up and payments from BigPay and further strengthening the value proposition of airasia move as the travel app of choice,” he explained.

Fernandes added, “My role as the executive chairman of MOVE will be to enhance synergy between both businesses. With this change, the market can expect an enriching user experience aside from more integration of BigPay features within the airasia Superapp (now airasia move) very soon.”

He also noted that the company is also welcoming Nadia Omer as the new chief executive officer of airasia move, where her key priority will be to further drive airasia move’s vision as a low-cost travel platform with high conversion, while closely collaborating with BigPay, led by Zubin Rada Krishnan.

“The airasia Superapp, or what will be called airasia move soon, has swiftly become a one-stop travel platform offering value and convenience through seamless end-to-end booking experiences within the past two years, while BigPay has established itself as an innovative fintech provider enabling Southeast Asians to improve their lives through better financial management,” Fernandes concluded.

Cebu City, Philippines – Capital ACapital A’s campaign for diversity, ‘Time To Listen’, to release special single, the investment holding company of lowcost airline AirAsia, has announced a partnership with UnionDigital Bank, the digital bank subsidiary of Union Bank of the Philippines. Through this partnership, Capital A’s subsidiaries namely AirAsia, airasia Superapp, and BigPay will be involved and will extend its presence in the Southeast Asian markets of Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines.

The new partnership was announced during the recent APEC Business Advisory Council (ABAC) meeting press conference.

Through the partnership, UnionDigital Bank’s role will be to provide embedded finance in partnership with BigPay within the airasia Superapp travel platform, the main booking channel for AirAsia flights in the Philippines.

Moreover, the partnership will enhance the travel experience of frequent fliers with flexible payment options with a Fly Now, Pay Later offer available in airasia Superapp, and exclusive co-branding deals. This will create a progressive shift in the way customers plan and pay for their flights and other travel-related services, making fintech more convenient and accessible for Filipinos. 

Tony Fernandes, CEO at Capital A, said, “For Capital A, the vision has always been to provide low cost, best value services, connecting people and realising dreams, for people of Asean and beyond. With UnionDigital as our proud partner, we are now on our way to create a future where travel meets innovative financial solutions that facilitate everyone’s dream journeys with unparalleled ease. We look forward to working with UnionDigital to redefine travel coupled with fintech as an accessible and enriching experience.”

He added, “Data has shown that 7 out of 10 of our customers in the Philippines save up for their travel plans, carefully budgeting to ensure they can explore the world comfortably. It is this inspiring dedication that fuels our determination to break down barriers and create a more connected and inclusive global community.”

Meanwhile, Zubin Rada Krishnan, CEO of BigPay, commented, “As tourism flourishes in the region, we are excited to elevate the end-to-end travel and payment experience of Filipinos through our collaboration with UnionDigital Bank and airasia. Through this partnership, BigPay is one step closer to making our financial services highly accessible in the Philippines, with the mission of empowering people to level up their lives, one transaction at a time.”

Lastly, Henry Aguda, president and CEO at UnionDigital Bank, said, “This is a pivotal moment for the two important sectors in the Philippines. We are forging a path towards greater convenience, accessibility, and innovation to empower Filipinos to live better lives. As we make these partnership announcements at ABAC, we are not just setting the stage but building a solid foundation for a brighter future with BigPay and AirAsia by our side.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Capital A, the holding company of low-cost airline airasia, has launched a new entity called ‘airasia brand co.’. It has also appointed Rudy Khaw, most recently the chief brand officer at airasia, has been named the entity’s chief executive officer.

The airasia brand entity, which also sees Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes taking charge of the chairman role, will take ownership of the brand’s intellectual property (IP) portfolio, including all brands and marks across the Capital A group.

Khaw is a seasoned brand expert and has over 16 years of experience in brand management. During his recent role, he has successfully led several strategic branding initiatives for airasia that resulted in significant revenue growth.

Speaking on his new role, he said that through the new entity, they will explore new and exciting ways to connect with people through expanding airasia’s brand influence across diverse industries, unlocking its true potential.

“The airasia brand has become a symbol of value, quality, and connection. Our red planes have become an icon in the Asean aviation industry; together with our brand exposure work over the last 22 years, the airasia brand has gone from a little known brand in Malaysia, to an Asean and now a global brand seen all over the world. We are thrilled to embark on this new venture and take our brand to even greater heights,” he said.

Meanwhile, Fernandes commented that they aim to set new benchmarks in brand development and extend their brand’s relevance and create meaningful experiences beyond transactions for millions of airasia fans worldwide.

“The launch of airasia brand co. marks a significant milestone for all of us. The airasia brand is something we have always taken pride in – built by our Allstars, and we recognise its immense potential to go beyond aviation. I am confident that with Rudy’s expertise in brand management and his proven ability to drive growth, we will be able to find new spaces for people to express brand love and loyalty,” he stated.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – BigPay, a financial services company venture from Capital A, has announced that Zubin Rada Krishnan, recently the country head for BigPay Malaysia, as its acting chief executive officer following the news of CEO and co-founder Salim Dhanani stepping down from his role to pursue new ventures outside of the company.

Before joining BigPay, Krishnan was a partner with the Boston Consulting Group for over six years, where he focused on financial services, including: the design of digital banks in Singapore and Malaysia; large-scale bank operating model transformations; and the build & launch of innovative digital products. He was also a co-founder of Tuas Capital Partners, a private equity fund. 

Prior to that he also played a strategy role at Hong Leong Bank where he helped set up a new subsidiary in Vietnam, and supported Malaysia’s last major retail banking merger. He began his career in KPMG Business Advisory, supporting financial institutions across financial risk and strategy.

Speaking on his appointment, Krishnan said that they have a stellar team behind the business, who are instrumental in deepening and expanding their footprint in Malaysia and across ASEAN, with a planned launch in Thailand later this year, followed by Indonesia and the Philippines.

“I am excited to be given this opportunity to drive BigPay’s mission. I will leverage my nearly 20 years of experience across financial services and capital markets to better provide our customers with the accessible and supportive products they need to live better lives. With an increased focus on our customers and deeper collaboration with airasia Superapp, I am confident in achieving greater growth for BigPay, which saw 56% YoY growth in revenue and a 43% improvement in gross profit margins,” he said.

Meanwhile, Colin Currie, president and CEO at airasia Digital commented, “The management would like to thank Salim for his leadership as CEO since December 2020, and for being a part of BigPay’s journey to challenge conventional banking in Asean. We are excited to welcome Zubin Rada Krishnan as acting Group CEO of BigPay, who has been the country head for Malaysia for nearly a year.” 

He added, “Zubin takes the helm of this great company at a time of strong, sustained performance and we are confident that he will continue to grow BigPay’s mission of giving Southeast Asians the financial services they need to level up their lives, one transaction at a time. We are excited for BigPay’s next step as we seek to tighten our links with AirAsia guests to provide a seamless travel payment experience within the Capital A ecosystem.”

Lastly, Dhanani said, “It has been an immensely humbling experience serving as the CEO of BigPay, securing capital to scale, developing a suite of financial services for our customers and diversifying revenue streams since inception. I trust that the amazing team I’ve had the privilege to work with will ensure that we have a sustainable business model scaling within the AirAsia and Capital A ecosystem as BigPay embarks on the next chapter with the new leadership.”

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – AirAsia X, the long-haul budget airline under the airasia airline fleet, has announced that Tony Fernandes is stepping down from his role as acting group CEO role of the airline. According to AirAsia X, Fernandes will focus on his much-larger role as the group CEO of Capital A.

“I am confident that AAX will come back stronger providing a great value mid-range travel, led by the senior leadership teams in Malaysia and Thailand. I’m now going to focus on delivering significant value to shareholders of Capital A, including the AirAsia Aviation Group, aviation services, logistics, travel, fintech and the e-commerce lifestyle platform,” Fernandes said.

Fernandes’ resignation from the AirAsia X board comes months after Rafidah Aziz stepped down from her role as chairman of AirAsia X.

“I went in with a clear mandate to restart AirAsia X and bring it back to life from hibernation. I am happy that this has been accomplished with a very edifying plan for 20 aircraft for the AAX Group— 13 aircraft for AAX and seven for Thai AAX,” Fernandes added.

AirAsia X has also announced the appointment of Tunku Dato’ Mahmood Fawzy will be appointed as the independent non-executive director of Thai AirAsia X (TAAX).

“I am thrilled to join the TAAX board of directors as the Group embarks on our new phase of growth as a predominantly mid-range airline. Our strategy is to focus on flying our most popular and profitable medium haul routes first, which have proven to be successful in the past including leveraging cargo operations in key markets,” Fawzy said.

Sepang, Malaysia – Capital A has officially launched IKHLAS, its Muslim-friendly travel and lifestyle platform. The platform promises to offer convenience, affordability and accessibility for Muslims to perform their religious obligations as well as a shariah-compliant lifestyle.

Among the key highlights of IKHLAS’ offerings are the affordable and convenient IKHLAS Umrah packages in partnership with licensed umrah operator Ikhlas Com Travel and Umrah Sdn Bhd. Most importantly, Muslim travellers can now confidently travel with IKHLAS, offering a wide range of value-for-money halal travel packages with extensive destinations across the whole AirAsia network.

“We built the IKHLAS brand at the height of the pandemic. While all businesses struggle to stay afloat, we took the opportunity to re-strategise and made full use of one of the platform’s offering, Sadaqah, to run donation drives and help Muslims in Malaysia and around the globe in their time of need,” explained Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, Capital A Executive Chairman, who came up with the idea of IKHLAS with Group Chief Executive Officer of Capital A, Tony Fernandes.

IKHLAS started business in April 2020 and took the opportunity of the downtime during the pandemic to accelerate its development to be airasia Super App’s full-fledged Muslim-friendly travel and lifestyle platform. Spurred by the resumption of AirAsia X flights to Jeddah and many other interesting destinations, IKHLAS is now able to offer many affordable umrah and other travel packages. 

Other services available on the IKHLAS platform include digital access to faith-based practices such as Qurban and Zakat as well as other Shariah-compliant lifestyle services including Aqiqah, Fidyah and Sadaqah. On top of that, ‘Shop with IKHLAS’ also offers more than 1,000 products such as prayer items, groceries, fashion, books, jewellery and household it no ems.

Chief Executive Officer of IKHLAS, Ikhlas Kamarudin, said, “Within just two short years, we have managed to grow the IKHLAS platform exponentially, which supports the Muslim communities and organisations through a digital ecosystem and transforming the way they perform their Deen.”

Kamarudin added, “Besides the ready-made Umrah packages that we currently offer, we will also be introducing more flexible, do-it-yourself (DIY) Travel and Umrah options, where travellers can customise their trips by selecting their flights, hotels, activities and other add-ons that are curated specifically for Muslims.”

In conjunction with Rabi’ Ul-Awwal, the third month in the Islamic calendar and the birth month of the beloved Prophet Muhammad (PBUH), the launch event was graced by a beautiful rendition of ‘Selawat’ by international singer-songwriter, Sandhy Sondoro who hails from Indonesia. The lyrics were written by Datuk Kamarudin and composed by Sandhy himself.