KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Group Bhd has finalised the name change of its listed holding company to Capital A Bhd to reflect its growing portfolio of travel and lifestyle businesses.

       Capital A chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said yesterday’s announcement reinforces that the company is not just an airline anymore, reliant on airfares.

       “While the airline will always retain the AirAsia brand, it has long been my firm intention, well before the Covid-19 crisis hit air transport, to leverage the strong data we have built over 20 years and incorporate industry-leading new technologies to offer a broad range of products and services.

       “Our brand has continuously evolved based on driving innovation and meeting ever-changing consumer demand,” he said at the group’s name change announcement, Bernama reported.

       Fernandes said Capital A is not only an aviation company but is also an investment holding company with a broad portfolio of businesses such as logistics, lifestyle and financial services.

       “Just like what the airline has done from day one, all of our different lines of business will deliver the same strategy that is underscored by doing what we do best, that is making travel and everyday lifestyle services affordable, accessible and inclusive to all.

       “We are now delivering more products and services under one umbrella than any other brand in Asean and with access to over 700 million people in the region, I foresee incredible growth opportunities for our brand across many different industries in all of our core markets,” he said.

       Fernandes explained that AirAsia has 16 products and services on its super app, providing not only the best value for air travel and deals but also everyday lifestyle needs, from food to retail and e-commerce to same-day delivery, ride-hailing and much more.

       “We are already one of the top three online travel agents in Asean and our super app is on track to become the leading lifestyle app in the region soon.

       “All of our portfolio businesses are well on the way to becoming industry leaders in their respective fields across South-East Asia, including BigPay, our aircraft engineering division Asia Digital Engineering, and logistics venture Teleport,” he said. — Bernama