Tony Fernandes has revealed that he is working on building a new “super app” for the SEA region, according to a BBC report. It is said that he aims to have it to be a direct competitor to other major mobile applications such as Grab, GoJek and WeChat.
The report added that the new app will offer a variety of services such as delivery, shopping, payments, entertainment, and travel. However, the AirAsia founder did not go into specific details about the app, but speculations include the integration of the various businesses and services under the AirAsia Group. These include BigPay, OurShop, Santan, Tune Hotels, Tune Protect, Tune Talk and, of course, AirAsia in-flight services.
Fernandes said that he has been looking for new ways to generate income while his planes were grounded during the ongoing pandemic. He told the BBC he spent his time during the travel slump improving the brand’s mobile app and its BigPay payment platform.
“The downturn was a blessing in disguise in some ways as it allowed us to focus more on it,” he said. “I know a super app sounds like a lofty target but Grab and GoJek also started out small as food or mobility apps.”
The report added that AirAsia currently has a “rich database” of over 60 million users as its starting point. It is not mentioned when this new “super app” is expected to launch.
(Source: BBC | Header image: Reuters)
