MAS will not be affected by CEO's resignation: Liow

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia Airlines operations will not be affected by the change in its chief operating officer, Transport Minister Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai said.
However, he noted that he was unaware of the airline's CEO Peter Bellew's decision to resign.
"There was no hint that he was going to leave. I have not received any report yet.
"I would like to know the details soon" Liow told reporters after attending a Deepavali open house by the Malaysian Associated Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (Maicci).
He said what matters most is that the airline's transformation plan still continues and that it is doing fine.
Bellew released a statement this morning that he is leaving MAS.
With his resignation, MAS will be having its third CEO within three years as it continues to recover from two tragedies - MH370 and MH17 in 2014.
It was reported that Bellew will return to Ryanair as chief operations officer to tackle the pilot shortages that has resulted in it cancelling more than 20,000 flights over the winter season.
MAS has said in a statement the move was "unexpected" but the airline's turnaround remained "on track and on schedule".
Meanwhile, Bellew has dismissed reports that his sudden departure was due to interference from Khazanah Malaysia Berhad, a government-linked corporation which is the sole shareholder of the national carrier.
In a personal response in confirming his resignation, the Irishman said Khazanah had been "incredibly supportive" to him, personally and corporately.
He added there has also been absolutely no interference from the government that had led him to make such a decision.
"They (Khazanah) have been incredibly supportive to me personally and corporately. I tried to be transparent on a daily basis, included them in most significant meetings and dragged their staff to work for us. It has worked well," he said in a statement.
"There has been no interference. Although possibly I drove Khazanah mad with my constant questions and wish for consensus," he added, while thanking the company for the support throughout his tenure.
Bellew said his love for his country had made him decide to take up the chief operations officer (COO) post offered by Ireland's low-cost carrier Ryanair.
"So why am I leaving. 'Negaraku' (my country). Love for my country is pulling me back to Ireland. I got a call from Ryanair late evening two weeks ago to be COO. It is Ireland's greatest company.
"They need my help and there is a big challenge. It is a form of national service," he said.
He said he had turned down an earlier offer made by Ryanair on Sept 27, but changed his mind when he received another call a week later.
Bellew had previously worked in Ryanair until 2014, where he held his last post there as the director of flight operations.
While praising MAS as "special" and a symbol to the country, Bellew stated that it was indeed a tough job to fix the company, which was rebranded from Malaysian Airline System Berhad.
"Success is just within our grasp. Just another 4-5% in revenue monthly and it should move to profits. Not always easy to gain but in the second quarter, revenue increased 7%," he said.
"Please don't change the brand! Much work has been done globally through the media and travel agents to rebuild our heritage. People love what Malaysia Airlines stands for," he added.