In its annual Airline Excellence Awards, AirlineRatings.com chose the AirAsia Group as Top Low-Cost Carrier in Asia for 2024.

Datuk Kamarudin Meranun and Tony Fernandes launched AirAsia in 2001 with only two planes. In the previous two decades, the company has expanded substantially, becoming a prominent player in the Asian market.

AirAsia's growth, which began in Kuala Lumpur, is unquestionably one of the greatest success stories in the airline industry.

It has had to deal with one external crisis after another, as well as different regulatory and competitive constraints, while negotiating regulations designed to assist national airlines even as it democratized air travel and altered the low-cost carrier landscape in Asean and elsewhere.

Full-service airline

AirAsia is currently a full-service airline with bases in Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and Cambodia.

Today, the AirAsia Group and its affiliated medium-haul airlines, operating over 255 aircraft and serving over 165 destinations, have completely changed the rules for airlines operating in Asia and beyond.

AirlineRatings.com editor-in-chief Geoffrey Thomas said that AirAsia’s win this year was “richly deserved.” He added that the renowned founder, Fernandes and his executive team, including Group CEO Bo Lingam and AirAsia X CEO Benyamin Ismail, have done an amazing job guiding the airlines to their market-dominant position.

The airline group has made travel cheap for approximately 800 million people in Asia and the Pacific, providing excellent value and an enjoyable experience.