Hoang Xuan Vinh was given free flight tickets for life.

Budget airline AirAsia says all Southeast Asian athletes who win gold medals at the Rio Olympics will get free flights for life.

At the recent Olympics, Southeast Asian sports delegations won a total of 5 gold medals (Thailand had 2, the rest were divided equally between Indonesia, Singapore and Vietnam). Thus, Vietnamese shooter Hoang Xuan Vinh or swimmerJoseph Schooling of Singapore will enjoy the above mentioned incentives.

AirAsia's August 24 announcement also said that regional silver and bronze medalists will also receive free flights for five years and two years, respectively.

Hoang Xuan Vinh was excited after winning the gold medal. Photo: Reuters

"This is truly a great Olympics for Southeast Asia. AirAsia has roots here, and wants to reward those who have brought such great joy to all of us," CEOMr. Tony Fernandessaid on his personal Facebook today.

"They taught us to never give up on our dreams and stop believing that we can be the best in the world. Thank you all for helping us dream and believe," said the CEO, known for his successful marketing campaigns.

AirAsia currently flies to 10 Southeast Asian countries and 120 destinations across Asia. At the recent Olympics, Malaysia, the airline’s home country, did not have any gold medalists. However, the team did win four silver medals and one bronze.

According to VNE