Malaysia Air CEO cites reasons 'beyond my control' for quitting

[KUALA LUMPUR] Christoph Mueller, the chief executive of Malaysia Airlines Bhd, told his staff that he was leaving the national carrier for reasons that are personal and "beyond my control," according to a letter he wrote to them.

"The show must go on," Mr Mueller wrote to employees Tuesday informing them he was leaving the carrier in September, according to a copy of the letter seen by Bloomberg News. The resignation is for "personal reasons, which are beyond my control," Mr Mueller wrote.

Mr Mueller's unexpected resignation comes as the carrier is beginning to turn around after two plane crashes in 2014 dented its sales and reputation and prompted the government to buy out all shareholders and take the company private. A veteran of a turnaround effort at Aer Lingus Group Plc in Ireland, Mr Mueller was charged with reviving a carrier that was racking up losses even before hundreds of people died in the two crashes.

"The company is making very good progress and we are on track with our plan," Mr Mueller wrote. "We have delivered our financial budget for the first three months of 2016, our on-time performance is increasing and very stable and our customer service index is recovering with more significant improvements in the pipeline."

A phone call to Malaysia Air's public relations department and calls to Mueller's office weren't answered.

BLOOMBERG