AirAsia X appoints new board chairman

AirAsia X (AAX), sister company of AirAsia Aviation Group, has appointed Tunku Dato’ Mahmood Fawzy as the new chairman of the board of directors, effective immediately. According to Tony Fernandes, group acting CEO of AAX and a co-founder of the firm, the appointment would enable AAX to combine the strengths of an entrepreneur-led company with continued drive towards strong corporate governance.

Mahmood will succeed Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz, who held the chairman role since 2013 and recently announced her resignation from the board on 1 July. With a 30-year track record in several high-profile worldwide leadership roles encompassing corporate investment, finance and more, Mahmood brings a depth of knowledge and considerable board experience to the table including as a chair, added Fernandes.

Before his redesignation, Mahmood initially joined AAX as an independent non-executive director on 27 June. In his current role, he will focus on driving corporate growth strategies and providing robust oversight of the board and senior leadership team.

“On behalf of the rest of the board and the AAX leadership team, I would like to once again thank Tan Sri Rafidah for her unparalleled leadership over the past decade. As we return to paint the skies red again in our key and new international markets, we look forward to working with Tunku Fawzy to transform AAX for sustainable growth and a stronger, more viable future,” said Fernandes.

AAX chairman, Tunku Dato’ Mahmood Fawzy, said: “I am honoured to serve at the helm of the AAX board working together with Datuk Kamarudin, Tan Sri Tony Fernandes, Benyamin Ismail, and the rest of the board members to champion a robust platform for future success. This is an exciting time for AAX, and I look forward to being involved closely with the leadership team to boost AAX’s long-term vision and strategy to become the most popular and profitable medium to long haul carrier across Asia and beyond.”

Apart from appointing a new chairman, AAX had also refreshed their branding after a two-year hiatus with a redesigned logo in early June. The previous logo had a red "X" with the words "AirAsia" on it, whereas the redesigned logo shows the word "AirAsia" within a red circle with an "X" below. According to Capital A's chief brand officer, Rudy Khaw, the brand refresh will mark a new era for AirAsia X and lead with the positioning of delivering maximum value, maximum experience, and maximum destinations for medium and long-haul flights.

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