Airasia X Strengthens Crisis Response Through Counselling Partnership

New agreement with the Board of Counsellors Malaysia enhances psychosocial support, emergency preparedness, and safety resilience.

AirAsia X, also referred to as AirAsia Group, has signed a Memorandum of Agreement with the Board of Counsellors Malaysia to strengthen its crisis response, emergency preparedness, and psychosocial support capabilities across its regional network.

The partnership integrates professional counselling support into AirAsia Group’s humanitarian assistance and crisis response framework, reinforcing the airline group’s focus on safety, resilience, and compassionate care during emergency situations.

The signing ceremony was witnessed by Yang Berhormat Lim Hui Ying, Deputy Minister of Women, Family and Community Development, and Captain Suresh Bangah, Group Chief Operations Officer of AirAsia Group.

Under the agreement, AirAsia Group and the Board of Counsellors Malaysia will collaborate on emergency response preparedness, deployment of registered counsellors during crises, psychosocial first aid, disaster response exercises, and specialized training programs for AirAsia Group personnel across all Air Operator Certificates.

Through the partnership, the Board of Counsellors Malaysia will provide trained registered counsellors to assist employees, survivors, victims, and family members affected by emergencies or crisis situations across the group’s operating network.

The collaboration will also support simulation exercises, knowledge-sharing initiatives, and continuous capability-building programs to enhance operational readiness.

“Safety and the wellbeing of our guests has always been at the core of everything we do at AirAsia,” said Captain Suresh Bangah, Group Chief Operations Officer of AirAsia Group.

He said the partnership strengthens not only operational preparedness but also the human side of crisis response through professional psychosocial care.

YBrs. Tuan Haji Sadli Bin Osman, Registrar and Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysian Board of Counsellors, said the collaboration marks an important step in building stronger psychosocial support and humanitarian response capabilities within the aviation sector.

As part of the partnership, AirAsia Group will also provide transportation and logistical support for counsellors deployed during emergency response operations, training activities, and simulation exercises across selected destinations within its network.

The agreement reflects both organizations’ shared commitment to building a stronger culture of preparedness while ensuring emotional care remains part of crisis management and humanitarian response.

AirAsia X’s counselling partnership shows that aviation safety is not only about operational readiness, but also about providing timely emotional and psychosocial support when people need it most.