Fernandes says AirAsia willing to take in MAS staff

KUALA LUMPUR: Low-cost carrier AirAsia Bhd is willing to take in some of Malaysia Airlines (MAS) employees following Khazanah Nasional Bhd's plan to lay off some 6,000 staff under the national carrier's restructuring plan unveiled more than a week ago.
The 6,000 workers represent about 30% of the total 20,000 workforce in MAS. "AirAsia X and AirAsia are growing, of course we will do our best to absorb as many of them as possible and we have been (absorbing MAS staff) anyway.
"We have grown from 200 employees to 15,000 and a lot of them came from MAS," the low-cost carrier's Chief Executive Officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes (pix) told reporters after launching a collaboration campaign, "Fill Up and Fly Free" with Petronas Dagangan Bhd here today.
He said the transition of employees from MAS joining the AirAsia group was healthy due to differing preferences of airline employees, some of whom might want to work with low-cost carriers rather than premium airlines.
About 50% of AirAsia's employees were formerly with MAS. "Some of AirAsia staff have gone to MAS as well and that is healthy as there are some people wanting low-cost and some wanting premium airlines," he said.
Khazanah Nasional, the government's investment arm, is now in possession of 69.3% of the flagship carrier and would likely own the entire shareholding in MAS following an offer to buy the remaining equity at 27 sen per share from minority shareholders.
The restructuring of MAS is expected to cost RM6 billion. -- Bernama