Chandigarh, 4thJuly 2016: Malaysian entrepreneur and founder of AirAsia, Tony Fernandes is joining Amnesty International’s prestigious Global Council, the organization announces today.
The Global Council was established in 2013 to help raise public support and the financial resources to fuel the organization’s expansion in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East.
“It is an honour to welcome Tony Fernandes and his entrepreneurial spirit and creativity to our Global Council. Having such a notable business figure from Asia on the council will boost the visibility of Amnesty International and the human rights issues we focus on in Asia and around the world,” said Salil Shetty, Secretary General of Amnesty International.
Tony Fernandes is best known for founding AirAsia, the first low cost airline in Malaysia. He is also the co-founder of Tune Group, a leisure and entertainment corporation. In 2015, TIME Magazine placed him in the TIME 100, the magazine’s annual list of the 100 most influential people in the world.
“I joined Amnesty International when I was 13. Being a member taught me the importance of human rights to human dignity. I am therefore honoured to be able to give back to Amnesty International as part of its Global Council, and I look forward to creating awareness and driving engagement in Asia, particularly among Asian youth," said Tony Fernandes.
As a new member of Amnesty International’s Global Council, Tony Fernandes will join world renowned Brazilian author Paulo Coelho, entrepreneur Sir Richard Branson, pioneering Japanese artist Yoko Ono, financer and philanthropist Krishna Rao, social activist Hadeel Ibrahim and businessman BassimHaidar.
Global Council members serve as champions for Amnesty International within their own networks and help the organization’s Secretary General identify and engage new audiences to promote human rights.
About the AirAsia Group
AirAsia,is the leading and largest low-cost carrier in Asia, servicing the most extensive network with over 100 destinations. Within 14 years of operations, AirAsia has carried over 26300 million guests and grown its fleet from just two aircraft to over 170. The airline is proud to be a truly Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) airline with established operations based in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and India, servicing a network stretching across all Aseancountries and beyond. AirAsia was named the World’s Best Low Cost Airline at the annual Skytrax World Airline Awards for seven consecutive years from 2009 – 2015. AirAsia is the first airline globally to collaborate with INTERPOL to implement the I-Checkit system to screen the passports of all its prospective passengers against information contained in the world police body’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database.