![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F01%2Fairasia-food-delivery-FB-160122.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes said the move harked back to when he and his partner founded the airline by taking over a fledgling airline and turned it around into a major player in the industry.
“We are now the fourth biggest airline in Asia, only surpassed by the Chinese airlines. We started with two planes and today we are serving 90 million passengers.
“So I sit back and think, can we become the biggest food delivery company and ride-hailing company? I think we can.
![Free Malaysia Today](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fmedia.freemalaysiatoday.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2021%2F02%2Ftony-fernandes-mugshot.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
“I think we can outpace the major players out there the same way we outdid Malaysia Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Thai International,” he said at an event at the Straits Quay here today.
Fernandes had earlier announced Tan Suan Ser as the group head of “airasia food”.
Tan and his wife, Leong Shir Mein, are the founders of local Penang start-up, Delivereat, the state’s first online delivery platform, in 2012. Leong is now head of on-demand at AirAsia’s delivery arm, Teleport.
Last August, AirAsia bought over Delivereat for US$9.8 million (RM41 million).
Tan and Leong started Delivereat with just two riders and one restaurant in 2012 and have delivered over a million orders to date in Penang and Kuala Lumpur.
Fernandes said Delivereat’s story was impressive and similar to how AirAsia grew during its formative years.
He said the Penang start-up did not have any large funds but outdid more prominent food delivery players.
“It is very easy to be Grab or Foodpanda, when you have lots of money from shareholders, giving you billions of dollars.
“It is much harder to do what Leong and Tan did by creating a business against these giants. They were like AirAsia 20 years ago, fighting against the likes of MAS and SIA.
“I respect them for being in business for 12 years, surviving and making profits.”
Stay current - Follow FMT on WhatsApp, Google news and Telegram