SEPANG, 6 March 2018 – AirAsia took the unusual step of squashing social media speculation that suggested the airline’s founder was about to jump ship for a new life in the financial technology sector.
Social media’s fake news suggested AirAsia Group CEO and AirAsia X Co-Group CEO, Tony Fernandes, was about to resign to “jump on financial tech.”
The airline statement said “members of the public and media are advised to disregard screenshots of a hoax CNN Tech story entitled “Tony Fernandes Leaves Air Asia, Jumps On Financial Tech” circulating on social media.
The statement confirmed that Fernandes remains committed to AirAsia and will continue to oversee its strategic direction and business operations.
Malaysia Gazette quoted Fernandes tweeting: “Had many scams on me. This is the best fake news. The reality is long way to go before I leave AirAsia, and AirAsia is investing big in FinTech. Some very valuable assets coming.”
Earlier last month, Fernandes announced the airline’s investment in digital wallet provider, BigPay. It is available in Malaysia and is a licensed e-money issuer regulated by the Central Bank of Malaysia, Bank Negara, according to Malaysia Gazette.
