Troubled FastJet puts a new crew on flight deck

FASTJET, the struggling Africa-focused budget airline, today unveiled a refreshed management team after naming a new chairman, director and finance chief.

The company, which has been raising cash to fund a revamp, installed turnaround specialist Rashid Wally as chairman. He previously held senior roles at IBM and joins from South Africa’s stateowned carrier Mango Airlines.

Peter Hyde, appointed a nonexecutive director, provides UK transport expertise. A former transport equity analyst, he later ran easyBus. FastJet said Hyde was not a representative of easyGroup, which is a top five shareholder in FastJet.

Michael Muller, who arrived at FastJet from South African

Airways in November, was promoted to chief financial officer after predecessor Lisa Mitchell stepped down to “pursue other opportunities”.

Chief executive Nico Bezuidenhout, who took the helm eight months ago, said the trio’s experience would be invaluable as the company — which has been cutting costs, overhauling its fleet and stripping back its route network — moves forward. @clarehutch