Tony Fernandes, chief executive of
AirAsia (AK,
Kuala Lumpur International) parent
Capital A, has told the Malaysian state news agency Bernama that talks to establish operations in Viet Nam are advancing, although no agreement has been finalised so far.
Fernandes' desire to launch an AOC in Viet Nam under the AirAsia brand, with initial attempts dating back as early as 2005, has long been an open secret. "As an ASEAN airline, it is only logical for us to be in one of the most promising countries in the region," he added.
"I can confirm that we are in discussions with a Vietnamese group, but nothing has been finalised as yet," he said, cautioning that talks are still in the early stages and that things are still fluid. He remains optimistic that
AirAsia Vietnam could finally launch.
Fernandes disclosed that his team are in preliminary discussions for operations in Laos and Brunei, but the company does not currently have plans for Myanmar or Singapore. He said he had "always fought for" access to the latter market but has now "given up on that plan."
AirAsia has operations in multiple Southeast Asian countries, through joint ventures
Indonesia AirAsia,
Thai AirAsia,
Philippines AirAsia, and, most recently,
AirAsia Cambodia.
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