Tony Fernandes
Tony Fernandes
Tan Sri Anthony Francis "Tony" Fernandes, CBEis a Malaysian entrepreneur. He is the founder of Tune Air Sdn. Bhd., who introduced the first budget no-frills airline, AirAsia, to Malaysians with the tagline "Now everyone can fly". Fernandes managed to turn AirAsia, a failing government-linked commercial airline, into a highly successful budget airline public-listed company. He has since founded the Tune Group of companies...
NationalityMalaysian
ProfessionEntrepreneur
Date of Birth30 April 1964
CityKuala Lumpur, Malaysia
CountryMalaysia
I came from the music business, which reputedly has the biggest egos, but I really think the airline world caps it.
When the music business failed to embrace the Internet, I thought it was game, set and match for the industry, and I quit.
The music and airlines businesses are tough, but I've been successful in them.
Winning is an amazing feeling. You don't get that in business; you don't get that in many things.
When I started my airline business, I didn't know everything, right? If I start up a newspaper tomorrow, I might get ripped off by journalists. You'd be naive to think you know everything from day one.
We have some teething issues but other than that everything is great.
I think high oil prices will sort out the efficient and non-efficient players in the airline industry,
Both of us working together will win big-time. With so much global competition, it really makes sense to combine our strength.
It was strange when I first came to the airline. The pilots freaked out because they suddenly saw their CEO pushing the ladder (to the plane),
It's a dream come true for us. A few years ago we were just a two-plane operation and now we have our own home.
Watch out, Singapore, is all I have to say.
The pilots cannot get over the fact that I have a cup of coffee with the guys who carry the bags. My secretary will (even) go out and help clean the planes if we are running into a delay.
I don't know if every player in the Premier League feels hurt when they lose a game. The right sort is very important. I was naive in thinking that everyone was like me.
Don't kid yourself that anyone in the Premier League is going to do you any favours.