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.”