AirAsia is making its first foray into US Silicon Valley, home to many startup and global technology companies, to find “the best startups in the travel industry” as the airline puts it.
The low cost carrier is carrying out the search in partnership with Plug and Play Tech Center, a global innovation platform for startups, corporations and investors.
As the anchor partner of Plug and Play’s Travel and Hospitality programme, AirAsia will be able to identify, observe and support relevant startups as they develop new products for the travel sector. The programme mentors new businesses and collaborates with emerging technologies.
Aireen Omar: First of many partnershops to tranform AirAsia into a global digital company. (Image credit: AirAsia)
“This partnership, the first of many to keep a finger on the pulse of innovation, will allow us to identify leading edge technologies that will help maintain our leadership in cost and customer experience and transform AirAsia from an airline into a global digital company,” said Aireen Omar, AirAsia deputy group CEO (digital, transformation and corporate services).
Plug and Play founder and CEO Saeed Amidi welcomed AirAsia to Silicon Valley, remarking that the airline’s expertise would be a great addition to the platform’s ecosystem.
“We are here to help AirAsia engage with the most promising startups in the industry and bring new ideas into their business.”
AirAsia, which saw phenomenon growth from a two-aircraft airline in 1993 to become the biggest low cost carrier in Asia with 165 destinations in 25 countries, has now set its sight to transform into a “truly digital airline”.
The carrier has invested heavily in digital services such as BIG Duty Free, BIG Pay, BIG Loyalty programme, ROKKI inflight entertainment and connectivity and RedBox logistics.
At the airport, AirAsia was an early adopter of self-service kiosks that allow guests to check in, print their boarding pass and bag tags, and also introduced home bag tags and self bag drop functions.
In February the airline debuted its Fast Airport Clearance Experience System (FACES) facial recognition boarding gates at Senai International Airport in Johor Bahru, its southern hub in Malaysia. This makes the airline the first in Asia to be fully automated from check-in to boarding.
• Featured image credit: pixelliebe/iStock-Getty Images
