Tiger Airways accuses AirAsia boss of making a racial slur

[MarrickG]

PETALING JAYA: A war of words has erupted between two budget airlines in the region, with Singapore-based Tiger Airways accusing the AirAsia boss of making a racial slur with his "white guys" remark.

AirAsia group chief executive officer Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes' comments to Bangkok Post on Tiger Airways' plan to partner Thai Airways to set up a budget carrier in Thailand, has left its management fuming. Fernandes, however, is sticking to his guns and not budging.

Tiger Airways is headed by Tony Davis, a British, who is both president and chief executive officer of the airline. He was also the founding managing director of bmibaby, a British low-fare carrier which took off in 2002.

In the Bangkok Post article, Fernandes was quoted as saying he was sceptical over Westerners running any successful Asia-based businesses, pointing out that Thai AirAsia is run by a Thai management that is well versed with the local and Asian markets.

"We're Asians, not a bunch of white guys running the airlines," Fernandes was quoted as saying.

The report irked Tiger Airways which issued a statement, saying they were "disappointed and surprised" by Fernandes' "racial remarks against Tiger Airways".

"While we understand that we are intensifying the level of competition with our expansion across Asia, resorting to racial slurs is unbecoming and unnecessary," the statement issued on Friday said.

Reports by Singapore?s The Straits Times and TODAY said Fernandes stood by his comments, and that his remarks were neither racial nor a general statement of all Westerners running Asia-based businesses.

"I gave my honest opinion. I was just talking about the Westerners in Tiger Airways' management who do not know Asia very well," Fernandes told The Straits Times.

He also told the daily that there were many Westerners in AirAsia and AirAsia X management.

In the Bangkok Post interview, Fernandes joined other industry figures in questioning the move to create Thai Tiger Airways (TTA), claiming that Tiger Airways was an ?odd? choice for a business ally given its problems, especially with pilot shortage and flight cancellations.

"They have not yet been able to solve their problems, so what are they going to teach the Thai (Airways)," Fernandes told the Bangkok Post.

 

[Alamaking]

LOL, Malaysia Boleh!!! :p:p

 

[Cestbon]

LOL, Malaysia Boleh!!! :p:p

Start counting the game from now. Previous all games AirAsia win oevr TigerAirways


Current game result

AirAsia 1 vs Tiger Airways 0

 

[shOUTloud]

Tony Davis should fucking clean up Tiger Airways instead of arguing with pple who are better than him. Idiot.

 

[hillary888]

Facts: Such News is hurting the company.

SINGAPORE, Oct 4 (Reuters) - Shares of Singapore budget carrier Tiger Airways (TAHL.SI) fell as much as 3.9 percent in early trade on Monday after a local newspaper reported that the firm had cancelled about 40 flights over a four-day period.

Tiger, 49 percent owned by Singapore Airlines (SIAL.SI), confirmed in a statement that a number of cancellations occured last week as a result of the knock-on effects of two aircraft being grounded.

"These disruptions were caused by the impact of technical issues with two Singapore-based aircraft which required extended maintenance," the airline said in a press release.

Tiger said the first aircraft, which was delivered in February 2010, was out of operation for several weeks. The carrier did managed to claim against the warranty of the plane, however.

The second passenger jet was grounded for week due to fuel tank contamination. Tiger operates about two dozen of Airbus (EAD.PA) A320 passenger jets.

At 0238 GMT, Tiger Airways shares were trading at S$2.01 on a volume of around 1.8 million shares, rebounding from an intraday low of S$1.96.

"Given the tight scheduling and high utilisation of planes for budget carriers, planes that are out of action will have a much more severe impact compared to the full service carriers," DMG & Partners said in a report.

The Straits Times reported on Saturday that Tiger Airways has cancelled about 40 flights since September 28, citing problems such as fuel and electricity trouble.

 

[johnny333]

Fernandes was quoted as saying he was sceptical over Westerners running any successful Asia-based businesses, pointing out that Thai AirAsia is run by a Thai management that is well versed with the local and Asian markets.

.

Fernandes would probably be a failure in Spore as he would not fit in LKY's ideas of a successful Sporean.

This is where the whites are worshipped & you even find them running GLCs

 

[annexa]

This guy got balls. I hope Tiger close down to prove his point. It is fucked up anyway.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

A white guy complaining of racism? Oh my fucking god please!!!!

 

[captainxerox]

one mama whacking one ang moh. who cares.

 

[wonerman]

Ning Nah Beh Eh Pua Chee Bye to the FUCKING foreign WHITE THRASH!

 

[Cestbon]

Tony should keep quite about the Tiger Airways problems. Let the Tiger keep on bleeding year after year sooner or later the investor/airline will have to close down due to the all negative news, bad service, cancelling flight............ Until now there are countless negative feedback about Tiger Airways.
If Tiger operate in Europe/US they already have to declare bankrupt ndue to countless lawyer letter from passenger. Because it operate in Singapore and been protected. No customer right/passenger right. Cancel flight that passenger problem they have to find another flight by themself and claim the money in 6 month time or more.

 

[captainxerox]

Tony should keep quite about the Tiger Airways problems. Let the Tiger keep on bleeding year after year sooner or later the investor/airline will have to close down due to the all negative news, bad service, cancelling flight............ Until now there are countless negative feedback about Tiger Airways.
If Tiger operate in Europe/US they already have to declare bankrupt ndue to countless lawyer letter from passenger. Because it operate in Singapore and been protected. No customer right/passenger right. Cancel flight that passenger problem they have to find another flight by themself and claim the money in 6 month time or more.

yah lor. in singapore they don't get sued class action. what nonsense the delays and cockups. actually travellers should buy travel insurance whenever fly budget.

 

[no_faith]

Tony should keep quite about the Tiger Airways problems....

bo bian, taking so much money, sumtimes have to come out bark a bit mah.
if not, hw to answer to his master?

 

[cooleo]

A white guy complaining of racism? Oh my fucking god please!!!!

Now we just need to wait for Ramseth to fall in to entertain us with stories of fucked up Chinese.

 

[Jah_rastafar_I]

Now we just need to wait for Ramseth to fall in to entertain us with stories of fucked up Chinese.

Ramseth will be licking the ass of that poor ang moh that suffered racism all cos someone mentioned that he was a white man running an asian airline. Yeah that's really really really racist.

Then of course he'll mention the evil chinese that made comments about some races not being able to suceed because hey they are just not as competent as chinese ppl while of course ignoring the similar comments ang mohs and other races make at chinese ppl not being to succeed in their countries and when someone points out his double standard that person is a racist.

 

[Alamaking]

a white guy complaining of racism? Oh my fucking god please!!!!

lol :d:d:d

 

[Ramseth]

"We're Asians, not a bunch of white guys running the airlines," Fernandes was quoted as saying.
.
.
.
The report irked Tiger Airways which issued a statement, saying they were "disappointed and surprised" by Fernandes' "racial remarks against Tiger Airways".

"While we understand that we are intensifying the level of competition with our expansion across Asia, resorting to racial slurs is unbecoming and unnecessary," the statement issued on Friday said.

Both sides are very childish. The remark is childish and is the reaction is childish too. However, nowhere near the standards of some forummers here who can even link Chinese chauvinism or anti-chauvinism to this.

 

[ButtHead]

To me, both are the same only difference is colour.

 

[bodycells]

PLease Thailand, be smart, do not partner with a sinkie company, you will lose out in the end.

 

[eErotica69]

Personally, I kind of agreed with what he said actually.

However, I feel that is quite ironic that :

A mama running an airline in a Malay land and he wants to comment about Ah Moh running an Asian airline??