Fernandes: AIRASIA (5099) AIRASIA GROUP BHD aiming to become largest food delivery, ride hailing company in Asia

Fernandes: AIRASIA (5099) AIRASIA GROUP BHD aiming to become largest food delivery, ride hailing company in Asia

GEORGE TOWN (Jan 16): AirAsia Group aims to become Asia’s largest food delivery and ride-hailing company, besides just offering flights in the region, following the successful acquisition of local online food delivery platform, Delivereat, recently.

Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said he is confident that the airasia food and Super App can become one of the biggest food delivery as well as ride-hailing companies and online travel agencies in Asia.

"When (I started) AirAsia, I always wondered if we can become the biggest airline, and we did. We are the fourth biggest airline in Asia... We started with only two planes, 200,000 passengers, and now we have grown to 19 million passengers.

"So I sit back and think can we become the biggest food delivery company and ride hailing company? Today, I officially say, I think we can... I think we’d go out there and (outgrow) existing competitors the same way we outgrew other airlines," he told a press conference here, on Sunday.

Fernandes said he is looking forward to expand the app’s full services to Thailand, Indonesia, Singapore, and the Philippines in the near future.

Earlier, Fernandes also announced the appointment of Delivereat founder Tan Suan Sear as Group Head of airasia food and Leong Shir Mein as Head of On-Demand for AirAsia’s delivery arm, Teleport.

He said the group is truly excited about the partnership as it supports the company’s strategy to continue serving the underserved and become the best value delivery company in Asean.

Fernandes also said that he is impressed with Delivereat, a local delivery company that is able to stand on its own, maintaining sustainability with its operations and offering business and employment platform to the community.

Last August, AirAsia’s digital logistics venture Teleport had signed an agreement to acquire a 100% equity interest in Delivereat for US$9.8 million (RM41 million) to strengthen its delivery service in the country.

http://www.theedgemarkets.com/article/fernandes-airasia-aiming-become-largest-food-delivery-ride-hailing-company-asia