Australians are some of the hardest customers in the world to convince that Malaysia Airlines has left its safety problems in the past, Malaysia Airlines' new chief executive concedes. 
In his first public outing since part of a wing believed to be from Flight MH370 was found on a remote island in the Indian Ocean last Wednesday, Christoph Mueller said Australia, Britain and China were three markets in which there had been "significant repercussions" for the airline from the disappearance of the Boeing 777 in   March last year and the shooting down of another Malaysia Airlines flight, MH17 over Ukraine, four months later.
"In Australia it's easy to explain with all good intentions but every mentioning of the search for 370 correlates with our demand," he told Fairfax Media. "Our demand does not correlate with price any longer but mentioning on social media - it's very adverse. It is very regrettable but it's a fact." 
It highlights the challenge ahead for Mr Mueller, a German who earned the nickname "The Terminator" during his time at Ireland's flag carrier Aer Lingus, in reshaping what he has described as a "technically bankrupt" airline. Since taking the reins in   May, he has ditched routes, begun cutting 6000 jobs from its 20,000-strong workforce and next month is set to unveil a new brand.  
Mr Mueller would not be drawn on the discovery on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean last week of a flaperon believed to be from MH370, saying he would not "participate in any speculation" about the search for the plane carrying 239 passengers and crew, including six Australians. 
"There are investigators currently busy in all different parts of the world - I leave it to them to draw conclusions," he said in Sydney on Monday.
Malaysian authorities have confirmed the flaperon was from a Boeing 777. The wreckage was under forensic examination in Toulouse in southern France to determine whether it was from MH370. 

Other debris
Locals on Reunion Island had since found various other debris including a suit case, but officials have been much more sceptical about whether they were from MH370.
Mr Mueller said MH370 and MH17 had triggered a "very looking forward debate" between the aviation industry and governments about gaps in the system such as aircraft tracking.
"Everyone has received their wake-up call," he said.
Malaysia Airlines will stop flying between Brisbane and Kuala Lumpur from Sunday, and reduce flights to Sydney and Melbourne this month from three times a day to two. It will also trim services to Adelaide and Perth. It is a major change from just before the the loss of MH370 and MH17 when the airline boosted flights to Australia by a third.
Mr Mueller said the airline's brand recognition, particularly in the Australian market, had "taken a severe hit".  
"It's one of the reasons why we had to cut back our capacity in Australia," he said.
While declining to give specifics, Mr Mueller said the launch of a new company on   September 1 was more than about simply "repainting" the airline, but involved installing a new management team, shareholding structure, revamping its product and setting up a new air-operator's licence. 

More than a logo
"Brand is not just the name and the logo but is more what your airline stands for. We will embark on the idea that we provide value for money for our travellers," he said.
He admitted it was "a very very difficult" job but insisted he could turn around the financial fortunes of an airline that had lost money every year since 2010. 
"It is very hard but it fortunately, isn't mission impossible. It requires us to roll up our sleeves and get going," he said.
"The strategic issues anyhow needed to be addressed - the two tragedies came on top and made the whole thing more difficult on the revenue sides. We are very determined to get it done in the next three years."
He intended to have completed the axing of 6000 jobs by   June next year as part of efforts to cut the airline's costs by 30 per cent within two years.  
Mr Mueller was to speak on a panel at the CAPA Australia-Pacific Aviation Summit in Sydney on Tuesday.