AirAsia Malaysia chief executive Riad Asmat has stepped down from his position after nearly six years in the role, as the group signals that a “restructuring” of the company and personnel groupwide will be made “in due course”. Asmat left the position effective 31 December 2023 but will continue to remain in various capacities with the company, according to a 30 December statement. He was appointed chief executive in January 2018, and oversaw the company’s Malaysia-based operations. “While Riad has decided to step down from the CEO position, he will remain an integral part of AirAsia by joining the Board of Advisors. All our operations will continue as usual, unaffected by this transition,” states Bo Lingam, group chief executive, AirAsia Aviation Group. “We look forward to continuing our journey with his guidance and have full confidence in the capable hands of the team while ensuring a smooth transition when the new CEO is appointed,” he adds. “AirAsia will be announcing additional updates on the restructuring of the company and personnel within the group in due course,” the group states. Asmat has been appointed to the advisory board of AirAsia Aviation Group, the holding entity for AirAsia Malaysia and its regional affiliate carriers, and will remain on the airline’s board and Ground Team Red, the group’s ground handling arm. He will also provide "consultancy work” with Capital A Aviation Services, the group’s consulting arm. Asmat described the move as “not an easy decision”, adding: “While stepping down as CEO, I am looking forward to continue supporting the company in its next chapter”.

Boeing has urged airlines operating the Boeing 737 Max to inspect their aircraft for a “possible loose bolt in the rudder control system.” “Under consultation with the FAA (Federal Aviation Administration), Boeing has issued a Multi-Operator Message (MOM), urging operators of newer single-aisle airplanes to inspect specific tie rods that control rudder movement for possible loose hardware,” says the US aviation agency in a 28 December statement. Boeing recommended the inspections after an unnamed international operator found a bolt with a missing nut during routine maintenance on a mechanism in the rudder-control linkage. The airframer also discovered a nut that was “not properly tightened” on an undelivered aircraft. The FAA says it is closely monitoring the inspections – which are expected to take two hours – and will remain in contact with Boeing and airlines while inspections are ongoing. It adds that it will “consider additional action based on any further discovery of loose or missing hardware”.

Kenya Airways has signed a short-term lease agreement for one Airbus A330 with Portuguese wet-lease and charter specialist Hi Fly. The carrier says the ACMI lease will result in the A330 being added to its fleet immediately to improve operational efficiency and boost capacity. It notes that the aircraft's arrival will also help accommodate the expected increase in travellers following the government's announcement that Kenya will become visa-free starting January 2024. "With the current capacity constraints on the back of the growing demand for airline travel, we need to balance our customers immediate needs by bringing more capacity into the market," states Kenya Airways group managing director and chief executive Allan Kilavuka, adding, "With the arrival of the aircraft, we expect to see improved operational stability and efficiency, as well as enhanced capacity for the convenience of our passengers."