KUALA LUMPUR: AirAsia Group Bhd’s logistic arm, Teleport is keen to play an active role in assisting the region’s vaccination campaign, said Group chief executive officer Tony Fernandes.
He said the low-cost carrier would consider transporting vaccines from China and Russia when they are available and distributing them domestically in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, India and other countries.
“Our pilots and cabin crew, who have not been able to fly as much as before, can also assist with frontline services during the on-ground vaccination exercise.
“They have been well-trained in first aid and are able to handle medical emergencies. They can surely provide valuable help to the frontliners and this is what being unconventional is about,” he said in a statement today.
Fernandes said the vaccination rollout would give the population the clearest, most tangible timeline yet as to when the pandemic will be brought under full control and life will be back to normal again, albeit with new norms.
“With a contribution of 15 per cent to the annual gross domestic product (GDP) and 24 per cent of total employment in the country, tourism is one of the most important economic drivers and its members should be given priority to receive the vaccination,” he said.
Fernandes said vaccines being rolled out across the globe, better education and testing, globally recognised digital health passports, veil medicines, leisure travel bubbles and contactless procedures for travel are all coming together nicely, to support an international air travel reset in the very near future.
“AirAsia is more than well prepared and can’t wait to paint the skies red once again with many new innovations and digital contactless procedures to ensure the highest standards of guest hygiene and safety.
Recent forecasts including by the World Health Organisation (WHO) citeed that the end of Covid-19 was nearing, with its regional WHO director for Europe, Hans Kluge, quoted as saying that the coronavirus outbreak will end in early 2022.
Meanwhile, World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) forecasts that global tourism will rebound even earlier in the third quarter of 2021.
Echoing this prediction is an Australian travel expert, Graham Turner, also foresees that international travel would likely recommence in the second half of 2021.- NST