AirAsia kingpin talks of departure

AirAsia kingpin talks of departure

Fernandes mulls role in Asean Secretariat

AirAsia supremo Tony Fernandes once said: "Good leadership is to know when to go and to refresh the organisation with young and energetic leaders."

This time around, the 51-year Malaysian executive of Indian-Portuguese ancestry who pioneered low-cost air travel in Asia 13 years ago, seems to be seriously pondering stepping down as the leader of the thriving airline group.

"My time is coming, maybe within the next two years," the flamboyant chief executive of AirAsia, the region's largest low-cost carrier group, told the Bangkok Post in Jakarta this week.

Though he would not say what he would pursue after his exit from AirAsia's leadership, Mr Fernandes expressed a keen interest in leading the Asean Secretariat, the body that oversees the 10-nation bloc whose performance he has been critical of.

"[Leading] the Asean Secretariat would be good," he said, referring to the job of Asean secretary-general while brushing aside questions about entering politics.

Mr Fernandes did not say who would succeed him at AirAsia, the airline that grew from just two aeroplanes and 250 staff to a major regional player with more than 17,000 employees and 199 aeroplanes flying to over 100 destinations and carrying 300 million passengers to date.

He said the appointment of Aireen Omar as chief executive of AirAsia Malaysia, the post that he held previously, in mid-2012 was part of the process of bringing new people to the airline's leadership and preparing for his departure.

With the appointment of Ms Aireen, Mr Fernandes left for a regional role in Jakarta and has remained group chief executive of AirAsia. He has dropped hints about stepping down as far back as December 2011 but has not provided an exact time frame.

He told the Malaysian media then: "Yes, all three of us [including chairman Aziz Bakar and deputy chief executive Kamaruddin Meranun] will have to go together."

The trio bought AirAsia 14 years ago from the bankrupt DRB-Hicom Bhd for a token sum of one ringgit (8.75 baht) and its liabilities when it was just a two-aeroplane operation covering Malaysia.

Mr Fernandes stressed his successor would have to keep to the airline's manifesto of keeping fares low and covering Asia.

AirAsia Group has firm orders for 475 Airbus A320s and for deliveries through 2028 to support its aggressive growth plan.

Mr Fernandes has been critical of the function of the Asean Secretariat and would make changes to push his agenda for a stronger regional bloc.

"If you put me there, I will make a lot of changes," he said.

One of Asia's best-known executives currently has two main pursuits in the travel sector — advocating a common Asean visa for non-Asean visitors; and a truly single Asean aviation market.

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