Singapore knocks back AirAsia licence request three times

The CEO of Capital A says the Singaporean authorities have thrice denied it airline licence applications with CEO Tony Fernandes claiming it is because Singapore wants to protect its own airlines. “Three times we had applied for an airline licence, three times we were rejected," he told Malaysia's Daily Star newspaper. "We could get other ASEAN countries but Singapore has blocked us all the time because it protects its airlines." Capital A's AirAsia branded airlines have secured air operator certificates in Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, and Malaysia. Earlier this year, ch-aviation reported that Fernandes was also looking at basing an airline in Singapore and Viet Nam. Fernandes suggested he would continue to seek a Singaporean licence, saying "don’t block me."<br/>