AirAsia chief mocks Singapore Airlines’ food – and social media hits back

AirAsia co-founder Tony Fernandes has caused a stir online after taking aim at Singapore Airlines’ (SIA) in-flight meals, claiming the food served by the carrier lagged behind his own airline’s offerings.

“Just flew with Singapore Airlines, couldn’t get AirAsia, service was great, internet amazing, food was poor, Santan is far far better and crew admitted. Great flight but we are not far off,” Fernandes wrote in a social media post on Thursday, referring to AirAsia’s in-flight dining brand.

The post included a photo of his meal, which looked like noodles served with beef and vegetables, and a photo of himself on board a Singapore Airlines flight.

Social media users were quick to flood the comments section. While some agreed that Santan offered a good selection, most said that passengers did not choose an airline just for its meals.

“Santan food is good, but the delay? Still far from SQ,” read one comment, referencing Singapore Airlines by its airline code.

“While food on AirAsia is great, nothing else is, I’m afraid,” another user wrote. “Considering all things, especially delays, service, cancellations and accountability, give me Singapore Airlines anytime.”

Complaints about unpunctuality were a common theme in the comments.

“We’re taking a flight, not going to a restaurant to compare how delicious the food is. What passengers care about is getting to the destination on time and having a reliable flight schedule,” one said. “Constant rescheduling, long delays, and even cancellations are what frustrate passengers the most. AirAsia, please wake up and focus on the basics – respecting passengers’ time.”

According to data from the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia, around 87 per cent of AirAsia’s domestic flights departed on time in August, compared with Malaysia Airlines’ 97 per cent. However, when looking at reliability, only about 67 per cent of domestic AirAsia flights and 65 per cent of international AirAsia X flights operated as scheduled.

One user poked fun at the chief executive directly: “Couldn’t get your own flight cos it was delayed? Or cancelled? Yah ... I feel you bro, been there too.”

Fernandes is well known for his unconventional antics. In AirAsia’s early days, he was often seen passing out food and drinks to passengers on board. In 2013, he famously won a bet with Virgin Atlantic founder Richard Branson, resulting in the British billionaire donning a female flight attendant uniform in AirAsia’s signature colours and serving passengers.

In 2024, videos of Fernandes dancing solo – captioned “when a billionaire hires you as his private DJ” – went viral. He also had the internet buzzing in 2023 after posting a photo of himself shirtless and being massaged during an online call.

Fernandes’ latest post comes just days after Singapore Airlines – which was named the world’s best airline of 2026 last month by Skytrax – released its new SIA Chef’s Selection menu, featuring more than 100 dishes across all cabin classes.

Economy class passengers can now choose dishes such as oriental-style fish with yellow bean sauce and roasted chicken breast, while those in business and first class have options that include Indonesian jackfruit opor (a coconut-based gravy) with blue pea rice and beef short rib in sambal percik (spicy chilli sauce), The Straits Times reported.

Some of the new dishes are already being served on board, with the other dining upgrades such as new drinks and tableware being introduced from November.

The new menu was developed based on “customer feedback, evolving preferences and emerging dining trends”, the airline told the Asia One news website.

“The result is a combination of thoughtfully crafted dishes, carefully curated beverages, elegant serviceware and thoughtful touches that make dining on board more memorable for our customers,” said Yeoh Phee Teik, Singapore Airlines’ senior vice-president of customer experience.