AirAsia Berhad is a Malaysian low-cost airline founded in 1993. It is the largest airline in Malaysia by fleet size and destinations. AirAsia Group operates flights to more than 165 destinations spanning 25 countries.
Company background
Air Asia and Santan have decided to join forces to create a special inflight meal: the INSPI(RED) Burger, in support of the fight to end AIDS. This burger was created by the famous New York-based chef Ambassador Hong Thaimee. This burger is a real East-meets-West experience. For every INSPI(RED) Burger sold, 10% of sales will go to the Global Fund to support HIV/AIDS testing, counselling, treatment and prevention programmes in the Asean region
Problem
To package this new burger, AirAsia was looking for something in line with its values. That is to say, something that inspires people, something bold but at a low cost. Indeed, being a low-cost airline they were looking for something very affordable with a very precise cost structure. Moreover, since they did not have a very high storage volume, they were looking for a type of packaging that was not very bulky and easily storable
How did Foodabox provide the solution?
In view of Air Asia’s pricing requirements, we could not offer them the conventional clamshell burger box. Indeed, this type of burger packaging involves expensive processes. First, the box pattern must be cut out of a sheet of paper. Then, you have to paste some points. And finally, it is necessary to form the box. The last two processes can very quickly increase the price of a unit.
With our production teams, we then considered a solution that could save us from having to make glueing or forming on these boxes. We then came up with the idea of producing only die-cut burger boxes. With this idea, not only is the total cost of production reduced, but it also saves space in terms of storage. Indeed, burger boxes are delivered flat (like stacked sheets of paper) and this saves a lot of storage space. The box can be shaped in less than 2 seconds to hold the burger.
On the picture opposite you can see the burger box flat as well as formed. We can therefore clearly see the storage space saved by this box delivered flat.
What did Foodabox modify to meet the client’s satisfaction?
After delivering the first version of the product to AirAsia, we received some feedback from them. First of all, burger boxes were difficult to form. It took a little strength to fold them properly. We then decided to replace the simple folding lines with slightly perforated lines to facilitate the formation of the boxes. With this modification, the boxes close more easily but above all more quickly.
In addition, after a return from the crew, we noticed that the locking system was a little loose. After studying the locking system, we enhanced it by making it tamperproof. This means that once the burger box has been opened, customers know it has been opened.
What were the challenges for Foodabox?
Sourcing the right type of paper was not easy for Foodabox because we had to go through a very selective and strict process from the side of AirAsia. They are ISO certified so they have to follow a proper procedure when selecting the right type of packaging for the food.
Then the second challenge was to rush the production. They wanted to launch their product in July but we could only proceed once we had the final artwork. So we rushed the production to deliver the burger box in time and it took us less than a week to produce the packagings.
And today…….
This new burger was launched in July 2019 and will probably be on the market until the end of the year. After the adjustments we have made to meet AirAsia’s expectations, they are very satisfied with the product and would like to collaborate with Foodabox for future projects
Outcomes
After a lot of discussions, the operation team managed to create a burger box that is cost-saving with a high speed of operation.
After the modifications made following customer feedback, the product was perfectly suited to their expectations. They have now a quality product that is cost-saving with a good experience and a fast production speed.
