Tony Fernandes named 'Airline Industry Leader of the Year'

In a statement today, AirAsia said Fernandes was recognised for pushing the boundaries of the aviation industry.

Fernandes said this achievement would not have been possible without the hard work and dedication of all the nearly 12,000 AirAsia AllStars.

"It has been a great journey for us at AirAsia this past 12 years. We've grown from a debt-ridden airline when Kamarudin and I took over more than a decade ago, into a global brand with RM6 billion market cap value today," he said.

The Aviation 100 Awards is held annually, and is now in its fourth year.

The award is the result of a four-month industry survey of aviation executives globally, including airlines, lessors, finance houses, law firms and manufacturers, and carries an average vote of nearly 11,000 industry professionals.