Malaysian low-cost airline AirAsia has appointed a chief executive officer for its India joint venture, group chief Tony Fernandes said on Sunday in a tweet. He, however, did not reveal his name.
"The board of AirAsia India has approved and appointed a CEO for AirAsia India. He will be a revelation. Thrilled to have him on board," the tweet said.
This is the second such message from the AirAsia chief, who had last month said in a tweet that the airline has selected "a real winner... (who) will bring new meaning to competition".
"I have selected the CEO for AirAsia India. A very smart boy from the South, Madras. An amazing CV...will impress all," he had tweeted earlier.
AirAsia, which is the largest low-cost airline in Asia, has formed a joint venture with Tata Sons and Telestra Tradeplace of Arun Bhatia in a 49:30:21 holding to launch a low-cost carrier in the domestic market. AirAsia will have operational control of the airline, while Tata Sons will be the minority investor with operational role. The Tatas will be represented by two non-executive directors on the airline's board.
The airline, which will be based out of Chennai, hopes to begin operations in the fourth quarter of the current year and will operate in tier-2 and tier-3 cities.
The venture received a formal approval from the Foreign Investment Promotion Board earlier this month to set up the company in the country. However, it has not yet applied for the flying licence to the sector regulator, sources told PTI.
AirAsia's plans to set up an airline in India took off after the government last September relaxed investment norms in the sector and allowed foreign carriers to purchase up to 49 per cent in local counterparts.
With inputs from PTI
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