Online travel portal AirAsia Expedia said it will remain the exclusive online distribution channel for AirAsia (India) flights, even though a number of other online travel agents (OTAs) are keen to have AirAsia's "contents".

On Monday, AirAsia group CEO Tony Fernandes has said that he has received emails from other OTAs and hinted that he may consider them. “MakeMyTrip keeps emailing me. This is actually Mittu’s (AirAsia India CEO Mittu Chandilya) job now. We have some relations with Expedia but we will look at everybody. We will aggressively push ourselves on the online platform,” Fernandes has said.

AirAsia Expedia, which is a joint venture between the low-cost carrier AirAsia and online travel portal Expedia, is currently headed by Kathleen Tan. Tan was the commercial head of AirAsia earlier, responsible for its sales and marketing initiatives. During her association, she was also credited with launching mega discount offers, which the airline uses from time to time to push sales.

AirAsia (India) is likely to launch its services in the fourth quarter of the current year.

“We don’t know what exactly he (Tony Fernandes) said. But what we understood is that he has received emails from other OTAs. AirAsia has fairly successful contents and everyone wants it. But as he said AirAsia Expedia is the exclusive online distribution channel for AirAsia, it will remain the exclusive online partner in India as well. AirAsia will push itself exclusively through our platform,” Vikram Malhi, general manager, South and Southeast Asia, AirAsia Expedia told Financial Chronicle.

MakeMyTrip has also expressed interest on having a distribution tie-up with AirAsia (India). Rajesh Magow, co-founder, chief financial and operating officer, MakeMyTrip recently told FC, “Once AirAsia (India) is there, we will try to have online distribution tie-up with them as well, as part of our ongoing process.”

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