NEW YORK - AirAsia will provide Orbis International with five years of airfare support for its eye-care work across Asia-Pacific.

Under the strategic partnership, announced on August 3, AirAsia will contribute $100,000 in airfare support each year, equivalent to $500,000 over the five-year period. The announcement describes the commitment as airfare support rather than a cash donation.

The assistance is intended to help Orbis teams work alongside hospitals, health ministries, training institutions and eye-care professionals around the region. AirAsia will also use its regional profile to raise awareness of avoidable vision loss and the need for stronger, locally led eye-health systems.

The announcement identified Bangladesh, China, India and Vietnam among the Asian countries where Orbis has established long-term programmes. It did not state that the airfare support would be restricted to those four countries or provide a country-by-country allocation.

Orbis said the partnership could support work spanning its Flying Eye Hospital, Cybersight telemedicine platform, long-term country programmes and partnerships with local institutions. The Flying Eye Hospital is a fully accredited ophthalmic teaching hospital aboard an aircraft, while Cybersight provides remote training and clinical support.

In 2023, local eye-care professionals in Can Tho, Vietnam, received hands-on surgical training aboard the Flying Eye Hospital. Orbis said the project was designed to strengthen the capacity of local teams and improve sustainable access to treatment in southern Vietnam.

AirAsia Group Chief Executive Officer Bo Lingam said the partnership could bring “life-changing eye care, training and technology closer to the communities that need it most.”

Orbis President and Chief Executive Officer Kathleen Sherwin said the partnership would help connect eye-care teams with training and technology while supporting systems that continue serving communities after individual projects end. AirAsia Group, formerly AirAsia X Berhad, adopted its current name in July 2026.

Around 1.1 billion people live with sight loss worldwide, and 90% of sight loss is preventable or treatable, according to the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness.