Tony Fernandes CEO Blog

Recently, some good friends of mine and fans of AirAsia have alerted me on the resurfacing of the email with subject title “AirAsia Compromise on Safety and Regulations”. This email has been on circulation for sometime despite an article on our Travel 360 magazine and abundance of article in the web on 25 minutes turn-around time.
Interestingly, a representative from the Ministry of Transport (MOT) also raised a reply upon receipt of the said email of which I’m in copy. I would like to share the reply here with all of you:

“Dear Friend,

All Malaysian airlines including AirAsia are subjected to the safety regulations/standards set by the Department of Civil Aviation, Malaysia. In fact these standards are higher than that set by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). ICAO is made up 190 countries and we are one of them. All planes are also subjected to scheduled checks by the DCA to ascertain whether they are airworthy, if they are not, than I am afraid to say that they will not be allowed to fly.

The ICAO also does annual checks on safety standards of all the airlines of its member countries including Malaysia. Only recently, the ICAO did their safety audit on Malaysia and the results were thumbs -up.

Countries like UK and Australia will not accept Airasia if it is not up to the safety standards. UK has ban many airlines such from Indonesia and the Philippines. Australia has recently banned Tiger Airways from Singapore (imagine Singapore, the so call the safety standards bearers). Qantas, Australia has had the same safety problems as Tiger etc.

And again, comparing a LCC with a Full Service Carrier is not a fair comparison at all. And I am not sure how you come to the conclusion that Lufthansa is a reputable airline!

There are many types of air travel which we can choose, if we are not satisfied with one.

Whenever you are free, please make an appointment with me so that I could bring you to DCA and show you the safety standards of our airlines.

“Always the other side of the grass is greener”

Tks

XXXXXXXXX
Undersecretary of Aviation
Ministry of Transport, Malaysia
Tel: XXXXXX”
In addition to the above, I also wish to highlight the fact that before AirAsia is permitted to fly to or operate in a particular country; its Aviation Authority (equivalent to Department of Civil Aviation in Malaysia) would scrutinize our adherence to safety regulations and standards by benchmarking it against our Maintenance Program (which includes the 25 minutes turn-around check). Unless and until the Maintenance Program received approval, we won’t get clearance to get in to the respective countries.
Back in Malaysia, our renewal of Air Operator Certificate, which is on annual basis, would also be in jeopardy if safety standards are not met.
Final food for thought: How would AirAsia compromise on safety when it has the youngest fleet in the region and is the single biggest purchaser of Airbus A320 planes in the world?
So now you decide if this is truth or myth?

Since the 2008 general election, one particular MP has been obsessed with us and has been obsessed with AirAsia.

He claimed we would go bust so we shouldn’t collect money up front and that the government would have to bail us out; he goes on and on about us owing Malaysian Airpots RM 120 million two years ago. The list is endless.

Now he’s attacking us on the MAS-AirAsia shareholder share swap.

I wonder what his constituents think of his antics. Many of them use AirAsia thanks to our affordable fares; some of them even work for AirAsia. Rather than support us, this MP seems to want us to go bust and make 9,000 people jobless. STRANGE for an elected Wakil Rakyat. And his dislike of me personally is just immense. After all I have done for this country.

It’s a free world and he can feel what he wants but as an elected representative, he should come visit us at AirAsia and find out for himself. I’ll be more than happy to meet with him. In fact, I’ve invited him many, many times. Good leaders should listen to all sides and get the facts instead of just venting.

Come take a look at the LCCT . See if we should be paying half of the charges levied at the Main Terminal of KLIA. Are the services and facilities provided at LCCT equivalent to half of those at the Main terminal? I dare say they are only 30 percent.

This MP claims to be a “man of the people.” Yet he was happy for Malaysian Airports to raise airport charges. Which would have meant that his constituents would have to pay more for air travel. Like I said earlier, STRANGE.

So, YB for Wangsa Maju, here’s another invitation: Come and see me, come and see what an amazing job the staff of AirAsia have done and how they’ve helped 130 million people fly to places and at fares they never believed they could do before.

Come visit us, YB and to all YB too, ask whatever you would like and let’s find a way for Malaysia to win.

Recently, there has been a lot of talk about unions. AirAsia has 9,000 staff and no unions. Why? Because we look after our staff. You only need unions if management doesn’t take care of the staff.

AirAsia staff are paid well, they get an annual bonus and are provided with opportunities for career advancement. The company does well, and so do they.

I’m not sure what some unions do. Are unions democratic, do they represent all the staff? Some union leaders have been in office for years. Are they benefitting themselves or the staff?

Yes, worker’s rights are important but I still feel dialogue is the best way forward. We should all win together.

What a dream come true. Was a poor result on Sunday but that does not deter me . I love it.

When you lose a class player like Traore and then his back up Connoley, it’s going to hurt. Then you bring Orr out and move Luke Young to the left side. And at warm up,Yiu – the third choice centre back pulls a hamstring. Total disruption.

Anyway we get Gabiddon, and Traore back for Blackburn. Let’s see.

Think we have a good squad, though it needs to be strengthened in the January transfer window. But this is a long road; we should be attacking more at home, maybe play with two strikers. it’s good to have Mackie back.

But I’m thrilled. This year is about avoiding relegation, sorting out our future home, building a good squad, build new training facilities and a new academy and growing new commercial opportunities.

I’m loving it! Going to be some tough weeks ahead but I love it when my back is against the wall. See you at Loftus Road Oct. 15.