The Persian Gulf carrier Oman Air has appointed aviation veteran Christoph Mueller to its board of directors as it seeks to stem mounting losses with a “radical and sustainable transformation” at the state-owned flag carrier.
Earlier this month, Oman Air cleared out a number of key executives after chairman Saeed Al Mawali said the carrier needed “qualified experts” to help turn the beleaguered airline around.
On Sunday, the airline formally announced its new board of directors, which includes Christoph Mueller and two other industry veterans, Stephen Kavanagh and Antonio De Menezes.
Mueller has more than 30 years of experience in the aviation industry and is regarded somewhat as a ‘crisis leader’ after stints as CEO at Aer Lingus and Malaysia Airlines during particularly difficult times for both carriers.
In recent years, Mueller worked at Emirates as the Dubai-based airline’s chief digital and innovation officer. Mueller was, for a short time, tipped to become CEO of Etihad but lost out to Tony Douglas, who has since departed to start Riyadh Air.
Since leaving Emirates in 2019, Mueller became chairman of global aviation outsourcing company Swissport and has also taken on non-executive director and board member roles at Cathay Pacific and Canadian carrier Westjet.
Aside from sitting on Oman Air’s board of directors, it remains unclear whether Mueller will take on a more hands-on role with the carrier’s turnaround.
Stephen Kavanagh is also a former CEO at Aer Lingus after a long career at the Irish flag carrier. Antonio De Menezes has worked in the aviation industry for more than 20 years and has been involved in a number of projects, which recently included the head of air mobility at the Saudi mega-project Neom.
Oman Air is aiming to turn its loss-making business around within three to four years after bringing in international management consulting firm Oliver Wyman to develop an initial strategy.
The airline said it was currently assessing its route network and that destinations might be dropped based on recommendations of outside consultants. Oman Air also plans to integrate low-cost subsidiary Salam Air as a priority.
