AirAsia Group will be looking to mend relations with customers and a new government after its boss Tony Fernandes backed ousted Malaysian leader Najib Razak, analysts and experts said. Veteran Mahathir Mohamad, 92, came out of retirement to lead the opposition Pakatan Harapan to a stunning victory last week over a ruling party he once led, defeating Najib, a former protege he accused of corruption. That spooked some investors in the budget carrier even as Fernandes Sunday apologised for endorsing Najib. Shares in AirAsia tumbled nearly 10% on Monday before closing down 5.4% in the first trading session since Wednesday’s election, as investors fretted over its relationship with a new government in Malaysia where it has the biggest domestic market share. However, Corrine Png, head of research firm Crucial Perspective, said she did not see any lasting demand to AirAsia’s brand from its links to Najib’s Barisan Nasional (BN) party. “There are simply too many BN-linked companies and consumers have long understood that businesses need political affiliations in Malaysia,” she said. Malaysia was second only to Russia on a “crony capitalism” index published two years ago by the Economist magazine. Fernandes said Sunday a video praising Najib was an effort to appease the government after he came under “intense” pressure in the lead-up to elections for adding extra flights on polling day and refusing to fire the chairman of long-haul arm AirAsia X Bhd, who had expressed support for Mahathir. The video apology on Facebook has been viewed more than 1.5m times and attracted more than 8,000 comments, in a sign of the attention Fernandes’ political stance has attracted in its home market.<br/>
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Some passengers on a Southwest flight from Denver suffered minor injuries when the plane appeared to suddenly lose cabin pressure as it neared Dallas. Flight 861 had 120 people on board Saturday night when oxygen masks deployed and the pilots declared an emergency as the plane approached Dallas Love Field. Southwest said Monday that the flight crew reduced altitude but that the cabin did not depressurize. Paramedics met the flight at the gate and treated four people for ear pain.<br/>
Lightning strikes could cause flight cancellations or delays at Denver International Airport Monday afternoon, officials say. Just before 2 p.m., the National Weather Service warned of a fast-moving, severe thunderstorm southeast of the airport bringing wind gusts of 60 mph and hail the size of quarters. At least 60 Southwest Airlines flights were cancelled earlier Monday after several planes were damaged by hail that accompanied powerful thunderstorms that began Sunday night. Maintenance teams are inspecting nearly 20 planes that were on the ground during a storm for hail damage, according to Southwest media representatives. “Hail impacts have been found on several of the aircraft, so they will be removed from service for repairs,” Southwest said. Airline employees at Denver are working to accommodate customers on other available aircraft, the email says.<br/>
Nigerian startup Green Africa Airways has appointed Caribbean Airlines VP-operations Jag Singh as COO and former JetBlue Airways VP-flight operations Bart Roberts as safety review board chairman. Lagos-based Green Africa Airways has secured its air transport license and is working toward its air operator’s certificate. The airline initially plans to operate flights within Nigeria using leased mid-sized jets. Announcing the appointments, Green Africa described Singh as “a senior industry leader with over 35 years of experience.” As well as serving as Caribbean Airlines VP-operations, Singh has twice held the role of Caribbean Airlines acting CEO in 2013-14 and 2016-17. Roberts, who was named as Green Africa Airways safety review board chairman, also has more than 30 years’ aviation experience, including management roles at New York-based JetBlue Airways, Dallas/Fort Worth-based American Airlines—as chief pilot—and with the US Navy. Green Africa Airways is led by CEO and founder Babawande Afolabi, a former investment banker for Morgan Stanley. Afolabi started work on the new carrier in 2014.<br/>
Thai AirAsia has announced leadership changes which see a new CE officer and his predecessor become executive chairman. Effective Monday, founding member and director for commercial operations Santisuk Klongchaiya took over as CEO of the no-frills carrier, according to Thai AirAsia statement issued on the same day. He replaced Tassapon Bijleveld, who became the executive chairman, supervising the executive board of the airline. The changes received full backing from the board and management directors, it added. "I assure that I am still a part of AirAsia," Tassapon said. "My focus will now be on the overall executive picture and the company's direction in seeking out new opportunities for sustainable growth."<br/>