News
MAB appoints new CCO and AirAsia eyes $1 billion sale of AAC
August 12th 2016
Malaysia Airlines Berhad (MAB) on Monday announced it has appointed Arved von zur Muehlen as CCO, effective Sept. 5, succeeding Paul Simmons who will be leaving in mid-September. Read More »
Prior to his appointment, von zur Muehlen was a senior vice-president of commercial network operations for Qatar Airways and a vice-president for international sales at SWISS.
MAB CEO, Peter Bellew, said von zur Muehlen will “focus on developing a comprehensive and sustainable plan to improve Malaysia Airlines’ marketing, sales, products and customer service,” playing a critical role in the next phase of its turnaround.
On another note, Malaysia’s transport minister, Liow Tiong Lai, has for the first time confirmed that Zaharie Ahmad Shah, the pilot in charge of MH370, had plotted a course to the southern Indian Ocean on his home flight simulator prior to the flight’s disappearance.
Meanwhile, Penang-based Firefly – a full MAB subsidiary – has deferred deliveries of up to two ATR72-600s due this year, the carrier’s chief, Ignatius Ong, has told the Malaysian Review, citing lower demand and a weak ringgit. The airline still has twelve -600s on order from ATR (out of a 2012 order for 20).
“We will not be taking new aircraft this year, as we are on a consolidation mode," Ong said, adding that a network review was currently underway. "This is the time to readjust the frequencies and drop unsustainable routes, such as the Kota Bharu-Langkawi flight.”
Separately, Reuters has reported that Malaysia-headquartered AirAsia Group will launch the sale of its successful leasing arm, Asia Aviation Capital (AAC). At an overall valuation of $1 billion, the sale would be significant for a carrier with a market value of $2 billion, and it would spur AirAsia’s fleet expansion, particularly growth at its India, Japan and Indonesia units.
In other Malaysian aviation updates, the Malaysian Aviation Commission has confirmed it has granted Malindo Air daily traffic rights between Kuala Lumpur and Jeddah from December, confirming earlier reports that Malindo was looking to enter the long-haul segment.
The Lion Air offshoot does not currently have any widebodies in its fleet. It is expected to deploy its Indonesian parents’ all-economy A330-300s to Saudi Arabia.
In the interim, Lion Air’s Thai subsidiary, Thai Lion Air, has said it plans to launch flights from its Don Mueang base to Perth (via Denpasar) beginning next year.
