KUALA LUMPUR (Oct 30): AirAsia Bhd is starting a coffee company.

AirAsia group chief executive officer Tan Sri Tony Fernandes said the budget airline is looking for a general manager (GM) to run the coffee company.

"Airasia is starting a coffee company. I need a good GM to run it. From anywhere in the world. Experience required in the coffee business.

"We need entrepreneurial spirit. Self-starter. Will be both onboard and franchise shops. Blending the best of Asean beans," Fernades said via Twitter.

Fernandes said he had "some pretty cool ideas" for the coffee company.

"Also need someone to help us start a roastery," he said.

AirAsia's coffee venture comes at an opportune time. The Wall Street Journal reported that prices of robusta coffee had dropped 25% over the past year with three-month futures trading at US$1,590 (RM6,837) a tonne last Thursday.

The report stated that a glut in the supply of Brazilian coffee beans and slump in the real was driving demand for cheaper Brazilian robusta beans compared to those from Vietnam.

(Note: The Edge Research's fundamental score reflects a company's profitability and balance sheet strength, calculated based on historical numbers. The valuation score determines if a stock is attractively valued or not, also based on historical numbers. A score of 3 suggests strong fundamentals and attractive valuations.)