Abdul Karim (centre) flanked by Voo (left) with others in celebrating AirAsia’s latest achievement.
KUCHING (June 27): Sarawak looks forward to continuing working together with AirAsia, which was just awarded the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline by Skytrax for the 15th consecutive year.
Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Minister Dato Sri Abdul Karim, in congratulating AirAsia for the achievement, hoped AirAsia will continue to grow in Sarawak, providing job opportunities to the locals and helping other local businesses to grow.
Speaking at a seminar jointly organised by Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) and AirAsia on Tuesday, he also acknowledged it was not an easy feat for AirAsia to maintain such a long winning streak and it is definitely a big achievement for the airline company.
“We look forward to working together with AirAsia and all stakeholders in the tourism industry and other relevant sectors, in realising our mission as rightly outlined by the seminar today – Positioning Sarawak as a key tourism hub in Asean,” he said.
AirAsia deputy group chief executive officer (CEO) Datuk Captain Chester Voo had revealed the award during his keynote address prior to Abdul Karim’s speech.
The seminar, entitled ‘Positioning Sarawak as a Key Tourism Hub in Asean’ was attended by 150 delegates and participants from various sectors of the tourism industry in Sarawak.
Discussing Sarawak’s huge tourism potentials especially within the Asean region, the seminar featured panelist speakers namely Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Tourism, Creative Industry and Performing Arts Sarawak Datu Sherrina Hussaini, Kuching City South Mayoe Dato Wee Hong Seng and Managing Director of AirAsia Berhad Datuk Captain Fareh Mazputra Fairuz,
Other speakers included chief executive officer of AirAsia MOVE Nadia Omer, Karen Shepherd of Kuching Creative City of Gastronomy; Head of Geopark Management from Sarawak Forest Department Madeline George Pau; Deputy CEO of Sarawak Trade & Tourism Office Singapore (STATOS) Putrie Rozana Soraya Roslan; and an education and training consultant from Indonesia Antonius Malem Barus.
Apart from the World’s Best Low-Cost Airline at the Skytrax World Airline Awards 2024, AirAsia also secured the Best Low-Cost Airline in Asia award.
In accepting the award at the ceremony held in Fairmont Windsor Park in the UK, Capital A CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said AirAsia was thrilled to have risen to this benchmark for the 15th consecutive year since Skytrax champions global standards for airline quality and excellence.
AirAsia began in 2001 when Tony Fernandes and Datuk Kamarudin Meranun acquired an ailing airline with two aircraft and 200 staff, transforming it into the fourth largest in Asia, with over 200 aircraft and 21,000 staff across Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Cambodia.