Peter Bellew joins Malaysia Air board as Christoph Müller departs

Malaysia Airlines has appointed former Kerry resident Peter Bellew as an executive board director as Christoph Müller, the chief executive, told his staff he was leaving the national carrier for reasons that are personal and “beyond my control.”

Mr Bellew was the second in command at Malaysia under Mr Müller, who had departed as boss of Aer Lingus in 2014 to help turn around the troubled Asian carrier.

Mr Müller’s unexpected resignation comes as the carrier is beginning to turn around after two plane crashes in 2014 dented its sales and reputation, prompting the government to buy out all shareholders and take the company private.