Turbulence ahead: AirAsia X’s founding CEO on how the carrier | Tech in Asia

Turbulence ahead: AirAsia X’s founding CEO on how the carrier pulled through crises
In 2007, Azran Osman-Rani got a call from Malaysian entrepreneur Tony Fernandes of AirAsia, who asked the executive to helm a new project: an airline that specializes in low-cost, long-haul flights.

Despite not having had any experience in the airline industry, Osman-Rani joined the venture, which was eventually known as AirAsia X. And four short months after he came on board, the carrier launched its first flight from Kuala Lumpur to Gold Coast, Australia.

However, the company’s success was quickly overshadowed by the 2008 global financial crisis, which caused AirAsia X’s credit lines to dry up and oil prices to go haywire.

On this episode of Startup Snapshot, we dive into Osman-Rani’s experiences at the early days of AirAsia X, from when he started up the new airline to the moment when it almost went bust.

Listen more: https://techin.asia/3a29QeU