AirAsia bets on superapp to counter Grab and Gojek

Budget carrier to diversify into e-commerce and payments as COVID hits travel

20201015 Airasia.com

“We already have a very high average revenue per user as compared to some other superapps, because they have been so used to purchasing [airline] tickets,” said Karen Chan, the chief executive of AirAsia.com. © Reuters

ERI SUGIURA, Nikkei staff writer

TOKYO -- AirAsia Group believes its digital push will drive growth even as its core flight business suffers severe financial losses amid the coronavirus pandemic, according to the head of its online platform.

The Malaysia-based budget carrier, which is under pressure to shrink its business throughout Asia, has launched an app aiming to be the "ASEAN superapp for everyone," and not only while flying.

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