Tony Fernandez

In 2001, Tony Fernandez established Tune Air Sdn Bhd Limited, with the aim of allowing more Malaysians to enjoy air travel services. In order to achieve this goal, Tony and his three partners acquired Air Asia, a subsidiary of DRB Hicom. Tune Air's first project was to draw on the successful experience of budget airlines such as Southwest Airlines in the United States and Ryanair in Ireland, to transform Asia Airlines into a streamlined budget airline and create a new aviation product in Malaysia. Under Tony's leadership, the fledgling Asia Airlines achieved prosperous business development with a debt of RM40 million. From the first day of operation, Asia Airlines has paid off all its debts and turned losses into profits. In less than three years, Air Asia's business scope expanded from just two Boeing 737-300 aircraft to over 100 domestic and international flights from Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, and Jakarta. Under his care, Air Asia continued to transform Malaysia's air travel industry, setting the precedent for low-cost airlines in Asia. In 2004, Air Asia successfully established a joint venture in Thailand and Indonesia, with Air Asia holding 49% of the shares in both companies. Asia Airlines and Shin Corporation, the largest telecommunications giant in Thailand, jointly established Thailand Asia Airlines and achieved its first flight in February 2004. In its first year of operation, Thai Air Asia carried over 1 million passengers. In August 2004, PT AWAIR, a private Indonesian airline, reopened as a low-cost airline and currently operates 5 domestic flights in Indonesia. Tony's face is not unfamiliar to both the aviation industry and the international community. He has previously been a cover person for aviation business magazines, the Asian Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, and the International Herald Tribune, and has published articles in numerous international publications such as the South China Morning Post, Financial Times, Far East Economic Review, and The Economist. After leaving the aviation industry, Fernandez became the chairman of the Asian Basketball League. In 2010, he revitalized the Lotus F1 Formula One racing team and renamed it Caterham in 2012. In August 2011, he publicly became the largest shareholder of the British football club Queen's Park Rangers and was also the chairman of QPR Holdings Limited. With his unique leadership and entrepreneurial skills, Tony delivered a speech on the growing business markets in India and Southeast Asia. He believes that employees are the top priority, and creativity and innovation are equally crucial for businesses.