EVERY nation, it seems, wants its own flag-carrier, but not every nation should have one. Whether Malaysia falls into this category will become clearer in the next few years. The country's national carrier, Malaysia Airlines, which is bankrolled by a sovereign wealth fund, is now “technically” bankrupt, says Christoph Mueller, its new boss. It has certainly had its fair share of bad luck. In 2014, it suffered two horrific disasters. First, flight MH370 disappeared on route to China; the fate of the plane and its 239 passengers and crew have never been determined. Later that year, Russian separatists shot down flight MH17, which was flying over Ukraine, killing all 298 on board. Yet those tragedies only exacerbated the airline’s problems, they did not create them. Despite Asian passenger numbers booming, Malaysia Airlines, in common with many state airlines, has long been overstaffed, inefficient and unprofitable. It has also struggled to deal with low-cost competition.

It may, though, now have the right man in place to effect a turnaround. Mr Mueller took over the top job in May. He is a famed cost slasher. He joined the airline from another flag carrier that required radical surgery, Ireland’s Aer Lingus. He also proved his ruthlessness at two other flag carriers, the defunct Sabena of Belgium and Germany's Lufthansa. For the sake of the airline, it must be hoped that he is given the freedom to act without state interference.

Mr Mueller says that he hopes to cut Malaysia Airlines' operating costs by 20%. The firm has sent letters of redundancy to all of its 20,000 staff. Fourteen thousand of those are likely to be re-employed. It will also reduce the size of its fleet—two A380 superjumbos have already been announced for the chop—and streamline its network.

The new boss will also have to decide whether, after last year's disasters, the Malaysia Airlines name has become too toxic for the skies. The carrier is due to unveil a spruced-up brand later this year. It may unveil a new moniker along with its new livery. Yet, as Mr Mueller is well aware, the carrier's structural problems cannot be hidden under a new coat of paint.