KOTA KINABALU: AirAsia is trying its best to bring down the airfare by leveraging on possible alternatives that other parties could offer.
Capital A's chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said that the low cost airline has always held on its philosophy to have low and affordable fares since its inception.
He said with 70 per cent of its costs being in US dollars, the company is affected by the oil price and US dollar.
"Our philosophy is to bring fares as low as possible down, that's what we always want to do, but we are still substantially cheaper than anybody else.
"People always talk about the expensive ones, and forget when it is low season and we are charging low.
"The price of McDonald 's hamburger is getting more expensive, while a cup of Starbucks is a quarter of the flight fare to Tawau from Kota Kinabalu, yet nobody complained about it.
"I can make up stories that the price will go down, but I want to be honest. Most of the costs go up and we also need to make money and survive," he said, adding the company suffered billions ringgit of losses last year and millions in the last quarter.
Tony was speaking to the media after the launching the special tribute livery to the late Sabah Tourism icon Datuk Irene Benggon Charuruks at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport here.
He added that the airlines have been putting up additional night flights during the festivities to address the rising cost of airfares.
Apart from that, he also said that AirAsia has been reducing costs by omitting aerobridges and basic facilities at the airport.
Tony said the loans from Sabah Development Bank has become a crucial financial support for AirAsia to invest in more destinations and thus bringing more tourists and creating jobs for people.