The Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation (CAPA) has awarded AirAsia and AirAsia X the Airline of the Year Award 2009 at a gala reception in Beijing recently.

The awards ceremony was held as part of this year’s sixth annual Asia Aviation Outlook summit, showcasing airline and airport CEOs from around the Asia Pacific and Middle East regions.

The CAPA Airline of the Year is awarded to the airline that has had the greatest impact on the development of the airline industry in the region, establishing itself as a leader, and the benchmark for others to follow.

“AirAsia has had another superlative year amid some of the toughest conditions to hit the airline industry on record. An innovator in revenue generation, with a strongly developing network and consistent focus on maintaining its world leading low-cost base, AirAsia was the outstanding performer in 2009," said CAPA executive chairman Peter Harbison.

"AirAsia and AirAsia X are leading the way in developing short-haul to long-haul connectivity in ways which promise to revolutionise the international marketplace,” said Harbison.

Dato Sri Tony Fernandes, CEO of AirAsia Group Bhd joined the Centre's Hall of Fame, when he accepted the CAPA Legend’s Award, joining Ray Webster (fmr Chief Executive Officer of easyJet), Dr Cheong Choong Kong (fmr Deputy Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Singapore Airlines) and Maurice Flanagan (Vice Chairman, Emirates Airline) and Dato' Seri Bashir Ahmad, Managing Director of Malaysia Airports Holdings Bhd.

"This award honors strategic leadership, vision, innovation and influence in the aviation industry," said Tony Fernandes, the youngest inductee into the Hall of Fame, but his impact on Asia Pacific aviation has been profound.