Malaysia Airlines to get complete revamp
Malaysia Airlines is due to unveil a complete re-brand next week as it re-invents itself as a totally new entity.
Christoph Mueller, who joined from Aer Lingus, taking over as chief executive on May 1, told Reuters that the new company would be like a ‘start-up’.
A new name and livery are on the cards for the airline, sources told Reuters.
"I’m hired to run the new company entirely on commercial terms and there’s very little margin for error," said Mueller. "It’s not a continuation of the old company in a new disguise, everything is new."
Khazanah, the Malaysian state investor which took over MAS, said the chairman of audit firm PricewaterhouseCoopers Malaysia had been appointed to oversee the move of MAS’ assets and liabilities to a new company, Malaysia Airlines Bhd, which is due to start officially operating by September.
The airline suffered huge damage to its brand after the disappearance of flight MH370 in March last year. It was made worse in July when Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 was shot down in eastern Ukraine, killing all 298 on board.
But the airline also plans to cut costs, lay off about a third of its 20,000 employees and shrink capacity.
Loss making routes will go and the NewCo will concentrate on mid range regional flights.
Mueller says it is business as usual while the restructuring continues.
"All MAS flights, schedules, and reservations continue to operate as normal. You can continue to make reservations in full confidence that our flights and schedules are operating as normal and tickets sold will be honoured, and that our Enrich frequent flyer programme continues with miles and status preserved, " he said.
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Editor for TravelMole North America and Asia pacific regions. Ray is a highly experienced (15+ years) skilled journalist and editor predominantly in travel, hospitality and lifestyle working with a huge number of major market-leading brands. He has also cover in-depth news, interviews and features in general business, finance, tech and geopolitical issues for a select few major news outlets and publishers.
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