Tony Fernandes on retirement, egos and one AirAsia
Last week, Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes was awarded Airline Executive of the Year by CAPA (Centre for Aviation) in Amsterdam. In giving this award, CAPA said, “AirAsia is back at the front of the pack and Tony has once again shown why he is one of the industry’s leading executives. The original sho [...]
Could Leo ‘The Baggage Robot’ make air travel feel more personal?
Fresh innovation in the airport space has been long overdue. And it shows. Visiting an airport is probably one of the most strenuous parts of any journey involving air travel. Long queues, heavy bags and vigorous security are enough to disenchant even the most romantic of travellers.
Fortunately, [...]
The Millennial Traveller: Google Travel and the ‘Man Behind the Curtain’
All eyes were locked on Eric Zimmerman, director of Google Travel, when he commanded the stage at the WIT Conference 2016 in Singapore last week. But this wasn’t the same sort of attention usually paid to other speakers. An air of intrigue, anger and even a touch of intimidation floated in the roo [...]
Future is in generic apps and WeChat is paving way for Western world, says KLM’s Pieter Elbers
For an airline that’s celebrating its 97th birthday, KLM Royal Dutch Airlines has done a pretty good job of innovating in the digital space. It was the first airline to start using Facebook Messenger to communicate with its customers.
It’s been active on social media – its Lost and Found vi [...]
The common leadership traits of Qatar’s Akbar Al Baker and AirAsia’s Tony Fernandes
I had the pleasure of interviewing His Excellency, Akbar Al Baker, CEO of Qatar Airways, and Tan Sri Dr Tony Fernandes, group CEO, AirAsia on stage in Amsterdam last week at the CAPA Aviation Awards of Excellence 2016 and while you couldn’t find more different personalities, I was struck by what t [...]
Letter from Nikoi: Nine lessons from 12 years of WIT
I am lying on the beach in Nikoi Island, a private island retreat, off Bintan, Indonesia. This island in the Riau Archipelago was developed by former Australian banker Andrew Dixon and his partners into a back-to-nature resort for stressed out urbanites looking to reconnect with nature.
Yesterday [...]
WIT CONFERENCE 2016: We’re our own competition, says Ctrip’s Jenny Wu
Ctrip, China’s largest travel brand, believes that being its own competitor has enabled it to grow to be where it is today.
“Whether it is for a company or person, the most competition should be yourself. You should challenge yourself and go beyond your boundaries. Think about how to challen [...]
WIT CONFERENCE 2016: Yeoh Siew Hoon looks back on the last 12 years of WIT
After 12 years, Morris Sim (co-founder of Circos Brand Karma) closed the show at this year’s WIT Conference 2016 by asking the powerful lady behind it all, Yeoh Siew Hoon, to reflect back on her experiences in building one of Asia’s largest travel and tech startup communities.
What was your m [...]
WIT CONFERENCE 2016: Cape cheered as WIT Startup of the Year 2016
Soaring to the top of this year’s startup leader board, Cape – a social travel app to reserve standby air tickets – was marked as the victors of this year’s WIT Startup Pitch Grand Final 2016.
The mobile app facilitates flight bookings, exclusively dealing in standby tickets for price-se [...]
WIT CONFERENCE 2016: Accor’s Issenberg talks digital, transformation and Asia
The advent of the digital age has brought disruption to many businesses, but Michael Issenberg (chairman and CEO of Accor Asia Pacific) prefers to view this mega trend in a much more positive light.
“I like to use a different word – 'enabler' as opposed to 'disruption'. It is important to vie [...]
