The Lowdown
Christoph Mueller new MAS CEO?
October 14th 2014
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) may have its first non-Malaysian chief executive when it begins restructuring next year, with speculation pointing to outgoing Aer Lingus boss Christoph Mueller, as the man to take over the troubled flag carrier. Read More »
German-born Mueller joined Aer Lingus in 2009 and presided over immediate capacity and job cuts. He returned Ireland's second largest airline to profitability in 2010, after it had lost a combined €240 million ($305 million) in the previous two years.
The progression is what Khazanah Nasional – the government investment arm that plans to take over full ownership of the Malaysian flag carrier – hopes to achieve for MAS prior to a relisting scheduled for 2020.
However, analysts are expressing concern that Irish Aer Lingus with 4,000 employees operates in a completely different landscape from MAS, which needs to shed at least 6,000 of its 20,000 staff as part of the restructuring aimed at returning it to profitability following losses of 5 billion ringgit ($1.54 billion) since 2011.
