Driven by Fernandes and with the help of his partners, AirAsia repaid that debt in less than two years; despite the fact that it was operating in an extremely challenging environment in the post-September 11, 2001 era. It started with two Boeing B737 planes, six destinations and a staff of 250. From its birth in Malaysia, AirAsia has now grown into a regional airline group that includes the short-haul carriers AirAsia Malaysia, AirAsia Thailand, AirAsia Indonesia, AirAsia Philippines and AirAsia India; the long-haul carrier AirAsia X