AirAsia Japan: Group exploring options, says Fernandes

Kuala Lumpur: AirAsia Group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes (pic) said that the low-cost airline is open to exploring all options with regards to its operation in Japan, including closing it down.

“We have to look at every option, including closing down the operation. We haven’t reached a decision yet,” he said when asked to comment on recent reports which stated that the group is planning to discontinue the operation of its affiliate, AirAsia Japan, as demand remained weak due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Fernandes said this to reporters after the Redbeat Academy’s launch here, Thursday.

On the termination of AirAsia’s flights from Malaysia to Japan, he said that it was merely speculative and the board had not made a decision.

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He added that currently, the airline is unable to fly to Japan due to the international border shutdown, and since its presence is relatively small in Japan, the board is currently evaluating all possibilities, including the cessation of its flights to the country.

Meanwhile, during the event, Fernandes said the academy was initially established in the belief that the digitalisation of its airline operation may lead to many of its staff being left redundant.

“Hence, we have Redbeat Academy. But now, of course, we are in a position where the airline has to make retrenchments, and it’s unavoidable. And many of them, hopefully, will come here (Redbeat) and reskill themselves as well,” he added. Meanwhile, AirAsia Group’s digital arm, AirAsia Digital, has partnered with Google to launch Redbeat Academy as part of its continuous digital transformation journey.

AirAsia Digital president Aireen Omar said admissions to the academy, which was previously only available to AirAsia’s staff, is now open to the public and businesses.

The academy offers a series of tech workshops in areas such as Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Software Engineering, Cybersecurity, Big Data and Infrastructure.

Aireen said the course period ranges from two months to a year.

“For those who have no technology (tech) background, they might have to go for a fundamental course, which takes about a couple of months or so,” she said to reporters at the launch of the academy here Thursday.

The academy was launched by the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Khairy Jamaluddin.

Also present were AirAsia Group executive chairman Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes and Google Malaysia country head Marc Woo.

Aireen said the tuition fee is affordable and the curriculum is suited to market needs. “This is all based on our own experience on the kind of talent we need. “The classes will be both online and physical; some classes need to be instructor-led because it’s too difficult to teach online,” she said.

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During the event, Redbeat Academy had also signed a partnership with Malaysian Industry-Government Group of High Technology (MIGHT) to reskill a pool of talents in software engineering and high-tech projects.

The academy had also inked a partnership agreement with University of Technology Malaysia, University Malaya and Asia School of Business, in collaboration with MIT Sloan Management, in awarding a micro-credential to Redbeat Academy’s courses and acknowledging it as part of the Accreditation of Prior Experiential Learning (APEL).

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