AirAsia Malaysia CEO Riad to leave role after almost 6 years

AirAsia Malaysia Chief Executive Officer Riad Asmat is leaving his role at the airline and will become a board member at AirAsia Aviation Group.

Riad was appointed to the role in January 2018 and had been responsible for the company’s Malaysia-based operations, AirAsia Aviation Group said in a statement. The executive, who is relinquishing the position effective Dec. 31, said he would “take a bit of a break” in an Instagram message to followers.

“AirAsia will be announcing additional updates on the restructuring of the company and personnel within the group in due course,” according to the statement. Riad will continue to sit on several related company boards and provide consultancy work for Capital A Aviation Services.

The move comes as Capital A Bhd, the holding company for AirAsia, seeks to expand its services beyond aviation. In September, Capital A CEO Tony Fernandes said he expected its non-airlines business to be bigger than its airline operations within five years.