AirAsia boss urges governments to open borders

The boss of one of Asia's biggest airlines has called on governments in the region to open their borders for the sake of people's livelihoods.
"Politicians have to be brave," AirAsia founder Tony Fernandes told the BBC.

Cross-border tourism, which accounted for 12pc of South East Asia's GDP in 2019, was hit hard by Covid-19 rules.
He was speaking at the Singapore Airshow, which returned this week to the city-state after two years of tough travel restrictions.

"It's time to take a deep breath and assess the facts... Having borders closed isn't logical anymore because Omicron is in society," the Malaysian low-cost carrier's chief executive said.

Like most airlines around the world, AirAsia reported a massive loss in 2020. But while low-cost international carriers in Europe and North America enjoyed a rebound in 2021 as travel rules were relaxed, Asian airlines slumped even further.

-B