Sepang, Monday, 16 May 2016: Malaysia Airlines today officially announced the appointment of Captain Izham Ismail as Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of its sister airline, MASwings, effective 1 July 2016. Captain Izham takes over from current CEO, Captain Ritzerwan Rashid who will be retiring at the end of August 2016.

In announcing the appointment, Malaysia Airlines’ CEO, Christoph Mueller said, “On behalf of the Malaysia Airlines group, I am pleased to welcome Captain Izham to this new role. He will focus on developing a comprehensive and sustainable plan to improve MASwings’ operations, financial performance and customer service experience. Captain Izham brings with him close to 36 years of experience in the aviation industry and combines a valuable breadth of understanding in airline operations and business management. I am proud that he is our own internal home grown talent and confident that he will be able to lead MASwings to new levels of excellence.”

Captain Izham is currently Head of the Operations Programme Management Office overseeing more than 100 projects key to the turnaround of Malaysia Airlines. He is also Board of Director for various companies such as MAB Kargo. Captain Izham began his career with Malaysia Airlines as a trained pilot from the Philippines Airline Aviation School and has operated various aircraft from the Fokker 27 to the Boeing 747. As a pilot he achieved world aviation records when he flew Malaysia Airlines’ first B777-200 eastward from Seattle to Kuala Lumpur and back, setting a new world longest flight and speed record for the fastest round-the-world flight by a commercial airliner with total flight time of 41 hours 59 minutes over a distance of 23, 310 miles.

Captain Izham was appointed to management position merely 10 years after joining the airline with his highest accomplishment as Director of Operations from 2012-2015 responsible for the airline’s emergency operations committee. Prior to this, he was also Executive Vice President of Flight Operations, General Manager Technical and Development amongst others.

Mueller added, “I also wish to thank Captain Ritzerwan for his contributions to MASwings as well as Malaysia Airlines. His 40 years of extensive knowledge in the aviation industry contributed to a successful two-year stint at MASwings where he was instrumental in the growth and progression of MASWings. Under his tenure the airline was significantly expanded to become a recognized and designated BIMP-EAGA (a sub regional economic co-operation initiative for South East Asia set up in 1994) airline. I wish him well and look forward to a smooth transition and working with Captain Izham to continue our commitment to the rural air service of Sabah and Sarawak.”
MASwings is serving a network of 24 destinations and operates 10 64-seater ATR 72-500, an advanced turboprop aircraft which connects Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, and Miri International Airports to major towns and cities in East Malaysia. It is also the sole operator serving the Rural Air Services routes in Sabah and Sarawak with six 19-seater Viking Air DHC6 400 Series Twin-Otter, operating out of Miri. These aircraft are deemed a vital lifeline in providing air transportation into remote and highlander areas many of which are inaccessible by road. MASwings’ regular Twin Otter service operates out of eleven (11) Short Take Off Landing (STOL) ports across Sabah and Sarawak.