KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — Christoph R. Mueller faces a daunting week ahead of him when he assumes his role as the new chief executive officer (CEO) of ailing flag carrier Malaysia Airlines (MAS), just days shy of the one year anniversary to Flight MH370’s disappearance.

UK newspaper The Independent said in a report that Mueller’s to-do list will be “unappetising”, as he not only has to restore public confidence in the airline but will also have to cut jobs as part of the airline’s restructuring plan.

“Next weekend, he (Mueller) and his airline will be in a media spotlight as the world remembers MH370.

“That experience will be repeated in July, a year after the downing of MH17. While his staff grieve for lost colleagues, he knows that many of them will also lose their jobs as the airline ‘restructures’,” the UK paper said yesterday, referring to the downing of Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over Ukrainian airspace back in July last year.

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Mueller was, until this weekend, chief executive officer of Dublin-based Aer Lingus Group Plc, the report added.

It pointed out that Mueller’s decision to leave Aer Lingus was unexpected, especially at a time when the Irish carrier was doing very well, with record passenger numbers and even offers for a buyout from British Airways Owner IAG and Iberia Airlines.

“You’d imagine Mr Mueller would want to take Aer Lingus to the next flight level,” The Independent wrote.

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“Instead, his successor, Stephen Kavanagh, takes over in Dublin while he packs for a flight to South East Asia — to take on the least-appealing aviation chief executive role of 2015: boss of Malaysia Airlines,” it said.

The world needs no reminder of how MAS has been beset by tragedy over the past year, the UK paper pointed out.

Next Sunday will be March 8, the one-year anniversary of Flight MH370’s mysterious disappearance.

The Boeing 777 had taken off from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) on schedule that early morning but disappeared from radar screens not one hour later, leaving aviation analysts around the world baffled.

For the relatives of the 239 aboard the ill-fated jetliner, the “unimaginable” grief they were forced to endure one year ago may intensify next Sunday when the dreaded anniversary arrives, the paper said.

Adding to MAS’ woes, just months after the March 8 tragedy last year, the ailing carrier was struck by yet another tragedy in the skies - the downing of flight MH17, carrying 298 passengers on board.

“Boeing 777, on a routine flight from Amsterdam to Kuala Lumpur, was shot down over rebel-held territory in eastern Ukraine. The Dutch Safety Board expects to publish its report in the summer,” it said.

The two tragedies, the Independent said have made some travellers shun MAS - despite it being the “airline of choice” for most trips from London Heathrow airport to South East Asia and Australasia.

“It has lower fares and more spare seats than you would expect from a top-quality airline. If you happen to want to fly from Heathrow to Sydney next Saturday, the cheapest option is Malaysia Airlines,” the report said.