Malaysian airline AirAsia has agreed a sponsorship deal with Australia’s leading surfing bodies.
The deal, the length of which was not disclosed, names AirAsia as the sport’s official airline partner in Australia.
The partnership has been jointly signed by Surfing Australia, state territories and the World Surf League’s Australian professional series. It is hoped the agreement will encourage Australians to explore surfing resorts in Asia.
As part of the agreement, AirAsia has launched its ‘Surfs Up, Fares down’ sale alongside a special offer that enables surfers to pack and travel with their surfboard for free to selected destinations on the AirAsia network. The offer begins today (Monday) and includes flights from Sydney, Melbourne, Perth and the Gold Coast to spots such as Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Bali and Thailand.
WSL chief executive Sophie Goldschmidt said: “WSL fans can expect to see some wonderful additions to our Australian series including the awarding of the AirAsia Big Air at the Quiksilver Pro on the Gold Coast, Rip Curl Pro at Bells Beach and Margaret River Pro in Perth.
“We are excited about the additions to the program and more importantly the engagement of our fans as part of this partnership – the WSL welcomes AirAsia to our surfing family.”
AirAsia Group chief executive, Tony Fernandes, added: “Aquatic activities such as surfing are part of what makes Australia a special place to live and visit, and we are delighted to form such a strong partnership with the Australian surfing community.
“More than 200 of the world's best surf breaks can be found in our network within easy reach of Australia, in countries such as Indonesia, Thailand, the Maldives, Japan, the Philippines and Sri Lanka.”