Budiey
Tony Fernandes named ‘Top 100 Most Influential People for Japan’
KUALA LUMPUR, 21 November 2011 – AirAsia’s Group CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes has been named as one of the ‘Top 100 Most Influential People for Japan’ by Japan’s highly-esteemed Nikkei Business magazine.
Tony Fernandes is the first and only Malaysian, as well as one of the three non-Japanese to make it to the extensive list of those who have contributed to the Japanese market, and has emerged as the ‘Game Changer’ in Japan, according to Nikkei Business magazine. The other two non-Japanese nominees in the list are Elon Musk, Chief Executive Officer of Tesla Motors; and Steve Jobs, founder of Apple.
The ‘Top 100 Most Influential People for Japan’ list is shortlisted from recommendations by various business leaders in Japan, and is reviewed, researched and investigated thoroughly by the Nikkei Business magazine team resulting in six categories containing the ‘100 People Creating the Japan of Tomorrow’. The six categories are Game Changer, Creator, Hero, Leader, Thinker and Dreamer.
Tan Sri Tony Fernandes says, “It is a great honour for me to be part of the ‘Top 100 Most Influential People for Japan’ list by Nikkei Business. Ten years has passed since I began my aviation journey and it brings me joy to know that the low-cost carrier impact started by the AirAsia brand is felt throughout the region.”
“Japan is a market that is waiting to flourish, and AirAsia Japan will be there to fulfil the pent-up demand to travel. AirAsia Japan is set to be an industry changer when we start operating, and I am glad to be working with great people in ANA, especially Shinichiro Ito and Kazuyuki Iwakata to make air travel affordable for all in Japan,” added Tony Fernandes.
Tony Fernandes has also recently been named CNBC’s Travel Business Leader of the Year, as well as CEO of the Year at the recent 5th Annual Budgies Low Cost Airlines Award held in London. He was also named as one of the most creative people in business for 2011 by New York-based business magazine Fast Company; amongst the other awards he received this year.
The ‘Top 100 Most Influential People for Japan’ is part of Nikkei Business magazine’s final segment of five-week editorial series throughout October called ‘Nikkei Business Readers’ Bible 500’, where they feature the top 100 of each week’s topic. The five topics in sequence were Future, Technology, Japanese Companies, Cities and People.
About AirAsia and AirAsia X
AirAsia, the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia, services the most extensive network with approximately 165 routes. Within 10 years of operations, AirAsia has carried over 100 million guests and grown its fleet from just two aircraft to 107. The airline today is proud to be a truly Asean airline with established operations based in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Philippines servicing a network stretching across all ASEAN countries, China, India, Sri Lanka and Australia. This is further complemented by AirAsia X, its low-cost long-haul affiliate carrier that currently flies to destinations in China, Australia, Taiwan, Iran, India, Korea, UK, Japan, France and New Zealand. AirAsia was named the World’s Best Low Cost Airline in the annual World Airline Survey by Skytrax for three consecutive years (2009, 2010, 2011).
