Tony Fernandes makes TIME's most influential list

“It’s a tremendous honour to be included in TIME’S top 100 list – I was shocked when I first received the news but I am very proud and humbled.

“I also want to thank my staff across all of my businesses in AirAsia, Tune Group, QPR and Caterham for standing by me through it all, for the tremendous support and hard work. Together, we will continue to disrupt the market.

“This has been a challenging year but my entire career has been about challenges and with every obstacle, we learn and become even better. I believe we are making forward strides and I am excited about the future,” said Tony in a statement.

Despite a challenging 2014 with the crash of AirAsia Indonesia Flight QZ8501 in December, Tony said he is refocusing his attention on the core business starting with AirAsia.

“We are committed to strengthening our core proposition of providing the highest value product and further expanding our network across Asean and beyond.

“We have always been about serving the under-served, whether it be through our services and product or giving chances to our staff where we have pilots who used to be purchasing assistants, department heads who started as baggage handlers and flight attendants who used to be administrative assistants,” he said.

With a vision to democratise air travel, Fernandes co-founded AirAsia in 2001 with co-partner, Datuk Kamarudin Meranun, purchasing a then loss-making AirAsia from its Malaysian owner for a token one Ringgit ($0.30 USD) along with over $11M USD in debt.

Today, AirAsia is the largest low-cost carrier in Asia, servicing the most extensive network with over 90 destinations.

Within 13 years of operations, AirAsia has carried over 280 million guests and grown its fleet from just two aircraft to over 190 with established short-haul operations in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and India, and long-haul operations in Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand.

AirAsia has been named the World’s Best Low Cost Airline in the annual World Airline Survey by Skytrax for six consecutive years starting 2009.

The list, now in its twelfth year, recognises the activism, innovation and achievement of the world’s most influential individuals.