MARCH 31, 2011

Fernandes receives CBE from The Queen

Air Asia, Tune Group and Team Lotus boss Tony Fernandes has today received a CBE (Commander of the Order of the British Empire) from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II in London today.

The award is attributed to his "services to promote commercial and educational links" between the UK and Malaysia.

"I am extremely humbled to have received this award today and I would like to thank Her Majesty The Queen for bestowing such an honour upon me," Fernandes said. "More than a personal honour, it will serve as a catalyst to further enhance relations between the UK and Malaysia, particularly in the areas of business, culture and education.

"I receive this award on behalf of all the incredible people I work with, wherever they may be around the world. It is their dedication, passion, enthusiasm and hard work that drives me on every single day and it is also my great honour to have the privilege of working with them."

The CBE is the second major award conferred on Fernandes in Europe. In 2010, the French government made him an Officier of the Legion d'honneur, the highest award for a non-French national, for his outstanding contributions to the aviation industry. Fernandes was also recently named "Asia Businessman of the Year 2010" by the international magazine Forbes.

Legal procedure is legal procedure and the High Court case over the rights to the Lotus name in F1 is ongoing, but Fernandes' recognition from the British establishment is unlikely to do him any harm.