Fernandes nafi AirAsia mohon ‘bailout’ kerajaan

AirAsia Group Bhd founder and advisor Tony Fernandes dismissed claims that the low-cost airline is receiving a bailout from the government, asserting that the company has always operated without government assistance over its 25-year history. He firmly rejected reports that the government had contacted a rival airline to explore the possibility of taking over some of AirAsia's domestic routes, stating that he had no knowledge of such discussions.

Fernandes emphasized that no one in the industry should be considered a "sugar daddy" or "sugar mummy" for AirAsia. He also clarified that AirAsia does not seek additional USD3 billion in financing and is instead striving to secure USD1 billion to refinance existing loans and repay a portion of its debt. All AirAsia loans are denominated in US dollars, while he acknowledged that the repayment plan aims to align the company's debt with its equity, ensuring that debt holders are treated fairly.

Fernandes stressed that he does not want to increase the company's debt burden and that he opposes being in debt. He asserted that no one in the industry should be comfortable with debt.