AirAsia paints Singapore red

by Yeoh Siew Hoon

Outside the Ministry of Sound in Singapore’s Clark Quay was a sea of red. Boys and girls wearing red T-shirts with the word “Finally!” emblazoned on their fronts.

Each time a guest arrived, they shouted, screamed and screeched.

AirAsia was making no bones about its elation – finally, it has managed to land in Singapore. Finally, after years of trying, challenging and provoking, CEO Tony Fernandes has been allowed to operate a flight from Malaysia into Singapore Changi.

February 1 was the day when three low cost carriers – Tiger, Jetstar and AirAsia – were allowed to operate four flights a day.

The bulk – 13 flights a day – are still in the hands of Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines.

To celebrate, AirAsia threw one of its famous parties at the Singapore club. It flew in up to 50 staff from Kuala Lumpur to celebrate the occasion.

Fernandes has long eyed Singapore’s Changi as his personal prize. In August last year, he told the Global Brand Forum that it’s been as difficult for AirAsia to land in Singapore “as for the Americans to put a man on the moon”, later jesting, “if we can’t fly to Singapore, we will buy Singapore Airlines”.

Now that he’s through the door, Fernandes believes a massive market awaits. He hopes to operate up to 20 flights a day on the route, come December, when full liberalisation kicks in.

“Every other route (in Asia) has grown tremendously but KL-Singapore has shrunk in what is a booming travel market – so once you get the price elasticity right, it will be a huge route,” he told the media.

Already, air fares on the route are down by more than half from the S$440 SIA and MAS used to charge for the round-trip.

As I watched Fernandes walking around the Ministry of Sound, greeting guests and talking to friends, I had the sense I was looking at a proud father doing his rounds.

I was also reminded by what he had said at the Global Brand Forum when he said he had spent the last five years trying to fly into Singapore.

“… I’ve told my staff that the closest I will probably get to Changi is Changi Prison”.

Guess he will now have to eat his words.

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