AirAsia wins the Future Travel Experience (FTE) APAC Airline Pioneer Award for guest-centric innovation

AirAsia has been honoured with the Future Travel Experience (FTE) APAC Airline Pioneer Award 2025 in Singapore, recognising the airline’s leadership in transforming the end-to-end travel experience through digital innovation, operational excellence and the collective drive of its Allstars.

The award underscores AirAsia’s pioneering spirit as an airline that revolutionised low cost air travel in Asia. In addition to world class service onboard, and flexible ancillary offerings, automation and digital enhancements being made continue to raise the bar for comfort, convenience and the overall efficiency of AirAsia’s operations.  

Today, via the AirAsia MOVE app, guests can manage every aspect of their journey seamlessly, from booking flights, seats and add-ons to receiving real-time updates and accessing breakthrough features such as Auto Visa Check (AVC) for automated visa validation, Open Baggage Belt for self-tagging and bag drop, and Self Move Flight (SRO) for automatic flight changes during disruptions. 

Kesavan Sivanandam, Chief Transformation Officer and Chief Airport & Customer Experience Officer of AirAsia said: “Serving nearly 200,000 guests a day across more than 130 destinations, our focus has always been to make travel simple, efficient and accessible to everyone. What began as a counter-based process has evolved into a digital ecosystem powered by people and technology, where AI and real-time tools help us enhance efficiency, communication and responsiveness every day.”

“As we grow globally, we’re reimagining travel through smarter design and integrated systems that simplify journeys for guests while transforming how our teams work behind the scenes. With innovations like ‘Red App’ – our new mobile departure control systems, we’re empowering our Allstars to work faster and more seamlessly, be it internally or with external stakeholders, to further improve the guest experience whilst stepping up operational excellence.”

Ryan Ghee, Chief Operating Officer of Future Travel Experience added, “AirAsia continues to play a leading role in driving innovation forward for the aviation industry. Ranging from its organisation-wide digital transformation initiatives to its use of the latest technologies to simplify and enhance the customer experience, innovation is clearly at the very heart of the airline. For this reason, AirAsia is a well deserving recipient of the FTE APAC Airline Pioneer Award 2025.” 

The Future Travel Experience (FTE) Award recognises outstanding innovation and leadership in redefining the air travel journey. This prestigious accolade celebrates organisations and individuals who are driving meaningful transformation in the aviation industry through technology, customer experience and sustainability, setting new benchmarks for the future of travel. 

With nearly one billion guests flown since its inception, AirAsia remains focused on expanding accessibility, enhancing connectivity and delivering seamless travel experiences that keep guests at the heart of every journey. 

* Photo Caption: (L-R) Ryan Ghee, Chief Operating Officer, Future Travel Experience (FTE); Alexia Leong, Head of Customer Happiness and Transformation, AirAsia and Joe Leader, Group CEO, APEX (Airline Passenger Experience Association), IFSA (International Flight Services Association) and FTE (Future Travel Experience)