Tony Fernandes to Quinton Dinesh Thomas:
Remember that hilarious AirAsia safety announcement video clip that went viral a couple of weeks back? Quinton Dinesh Thomas, a Senior Flight Attendant with the airline, has gained nationwide stardom for making his passengers hoot in laughter, and he can now add one more person to his fan base: AirAsia CEO Tan Sri Tony Fernandes!
When Yahoo! Malaysia contacted the enigmatic CEO for comments, he has nothing but praises for Quinton’s unusual way of delivering his pre-flight announcement.
“Quinton is a real all-star,” he told Yahoo! Malaysia. “He has led the way in cabin service and I’m so proud of him that he’s getting this worldwide recognition”.
Related: AirAsia steward explains zany airline safety announcement
So, he’s not mad that Quinton deviated from the standard text announcements requested from the Department of Civil Aviation, and potentially getting AirAsia in trouble because of that?
“We create individuals at AirAsia, and Quinton is one of them. We always want our passengers to have fun and our staff to enjoy coming to work.”
As for Quinton, he’s revealed that his job is safe: “At first when the clip went viral, we were worried about the Department of Civil Aviation's (DCA) views and whether they would allow this. My managers met with the DCA officials last week, and they are OK with it!”
Quinton also told Yahoo! Malaysia that he’s “surprised the clip went viral and has gotten so many views”. However, despite the sudden popularity, he’s revealed that his life is still pretty normal, but he’s getting a fair share of media interviews.
Quinton - who credits his fellow AirAsia colleague Khuraizah Binti Ramlan as his personal "motivator and inspiration" - added: “To those who viewed the clip, thank you for all the comments. I am glad many of you have learnt one thing or another. I believe in learning the fun/interesting way. Thank you for your support.”
For those of you who have not seen the clip, watch it below:
PETALING JAYA, May 19 ― The Selangor DAP is questioning the state executive council composition announced by Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim yesterday, barely a week after a furore in PKR over the state’s top post was settled.