AirAsia chief Fernandes comes back on Twitter

'I see some right wing racists think I'm quitting twitter thanks to your racist taunts.Well it backfired.I'm going to stay on', AirAsia CEO tweets

AirAsia Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Tony Fernandes did a U-turn on quitting social media, as he decided to continue on micro-blogging website Twitter on Monday. “I see some rightwing racists think I am quitting Twitter thanks to your racist taunts. Well, it backfired. I am going to stay on. Thanks,” Fernandes tweeted on Monday.

On Saturday, Fernandes had taken everybody by surprise after he tweeted that he had decided to quit from Twitter and April 30 would be his last day. “Reaching 50 years. Think I spend too much time on it. It has been awesome but time to move on. April 30  will be my last day on Twitter. But will be at my best till then. Only one will be the same after that day and I am a superhoop,” he had tweeted on Saturday. Fernandes started tweeting on December 7, 2008. He has used the network very effectively till now. All major announcements about the airline, offers, discussion on the industry, on his favourite sport activities, industries, birthday wishes, workout in gyms, investors’ road show, anything and everything has been discussed on his account. On Friday, he started a discussion on nuclear power, tweeting, “What is everyone’s view on nuclear power?”

His account shows 963,839 people follow him and he has so far tweeted 10,993 messages. The followers include journalists from across the world. Starting from the announcement of the AirAsia India joint venture, Mittu Chandilya’s appointment as AirAsia India CEO, the airline getting Foreign Investment Promotion Board’s nod and no-objection certificate — everything was first announced on Fernandes’ Twitter account. On being asked once as to why he was making all his announcements through Twitter, Fernandes had said, “I get a very good response from you (the media) guys on Twitter. Tatas went mad when I first announced about the joint venture on Twitter. Later they called me saying, hey, put this on Twitter. The first time, they thought we were crazy.”

An AirAsia official, who did not want to be named, once said that "if you want to know all about AirAsia and need a comment from him (Tony), log on to his twitter, it is the best way?.

True, starting from AirAsia India JV announcement, Mittu Chandilya appointment as AirAsia India CEO, airline getting FIPB and NOCs, everything was first announced on Twitter by Fernandes.