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PETALING JAYA: AirAsia chief Tony Fernandes is developing a “super app” that he hopes will rival Grab and Gojek as his budget airline struggles with the impact of Covid-19 on aviation and travel.
In an interview with the BBC, he said that the “all-in-one” app would be used for food delivery, shopping, payments, entertainment and travel.
Fernandes, who is chief executive of AirAsia Group, said he was looking for new ways to generate revenue after the Covid-19 lockdown left the planes grounded.
AirAsia recently reported a net loss of RM992.9 million in the three months ended June 30. Sales fell 96% to just RM119 million.
Fernandes said he spent his time during the depression improving the company’s payments and apps platform, BigPay.
“The recession was a blessing in some disguise as it allowed us to focus more on it. Running an airline takes us a lot of time, but we have been given the opportunity and time to focus on our digital business, ”he said, as reported by the BBC.
Fernandes hopes the AirAsia app, which also offers a messaging service, will be able to compete against super apps like Singapore-based Grab, Indonesia’s Gojek and China’s Meituan.
AirAsia, he said, has always been a digital company, adding that it was one of the first airlines to sell online.
“I know a super app sounds like a lofty goal, but Grab and Gojek also started out small as food or mobility apps. Also, people also asked me in the same way when I said I wanted to start AirAsia, ”he told the BBC.
