AirAsia carries passengers to, rather than from China

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The aviation industry is expecting tailwinds as a result of stronger global growth this year. And Tony Fernandes, founder and CEO of Malaysian budget airline AirAsia, is upbeat on 2018 and expects a surge in air traveler volume as more tourists deem China the destination of their next vacation.

China's air passenger volume is forecast to reach 612 million in 2018, an 11 percent year-on-year increase. And tourism is one of the fuels to touch that number. While other global airlines mainly focus on Chinese tourists’ going out, Fernandes said AirAsia will focus on bringing more global tourists to China.

“Unlike other airlines, we’ve spent a lot of time promoting China’s Southeast regions. China is an amazing country with rich culture,” says Fernandes. While many airlines focus on Chinese going abroad, AirAsia actually aims to bring tourists to China, an endeavor that has so far been successful according to Fernandes.

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Data from the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) showed China had more than 549 million air passengers in 2017, a significant contribution to the world aviation industry, which hit a new record of 4.1 billion passengers last year. The country also recorded 7.12 million tonnes of air cargo in 2017, a 6.6 percent year-on-year increase.

As 30 percent of AirAsia’s passengers are business types, Fernandes also noted that the airline actually provides clients with opportunities to look beyond their jobs. Airline makes physical meeting possible and make the world smaller. That could be one of its contributions to creating a shared future, Fernandes added.