Malindo Air shareholders to meet on management issues

PETALING JAYA: Malindo Air shareholders Indonesian billionaire Rusdi Kirana and Malaysian partner National Aerospace Defence & Industries Bhd (Nadi) are expected to meet this weekend to discuss operational matters regarding the airline, which has been in the news of late.
It is understood that Rusdi is flying in to meet with Nadi's top management, which includes president Tan Sri Ahmad Johan, following a series of incidents involving the airline. According to sources, discussions between the two parties will centre around employee issues as well as the management of the airline.
An email viewed by SunBiz showed that a group calling themselves Malindo Rebellions had sent an email about a month ago to Rusdi, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein and Department of Civil Aviation director-general Datuk Azharuddin Abdul Rahman detailing its grouses with the management of the airline.
Both Rusdi and Nadi did not respond to an email request for comment for this article as at press time.
In December last year, SunBiz reported that Nadi was believed to be keen to have its own appointee as CEO of the airline. The current CEO, Chandran Rama Muthy, used to be Rusdi's personal assistant.
According to documents filed with the Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) as at April 17, 2014, Nadi holds a 50.99% stake in Malindo Airways Sdn Bhd, Ahmad one share, Rusdi another share and his Lion Grup the remaining 48.99%.
Malindo Airways, which has just completed its first year of operations, did not have any accounts filed with it.
Since March this year, Malindo Air has had a succession of incidents involving its aircraft and employees.
On March 25, a 7.30am Malindo Air flight to Kuala Terengganu had to turn back to the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) because one of the ATR 72-600 plane's turboprop engines caught fire.
Nearly a month later, five Malindo Air flights were disrupted when check-in staff and ramp boys did not show up for work at KLIA in protest. Flights were delayed between 45 minutes and an hour after an undisclosed number of staff did not show up for the 6am shift.
On May 14, a Malindo Air aircraft had to abort takeoff when it was found that one of its tyres was flat. The aircraft bound for Kota Baru was preparing for takeoff when the flat tyre was detected.