Lufthansa Group announces leadership reshuffle across Edelweiss, Eurowings and Lufthansa City Airlines

The Lufthansa Group has unveiled a series of senior management appointments across three of its airlines, with new chief executives and operational leaders taking up their roles during the autumn of 2026.

The most significant change sees Edi Wolfensberger appointed Chief Executive Officer of Edelweiss from 1 October 2026, succeeding Bernd Bauer, who is leaving the Lufthansa Group after more than three decades in the aviation industry. Wolfensberger currently serves as Chief Operating Officer (COO) of Eurowings and has previously held senior leadership positions at SWISS, Brussels Airlines and Lufthansa Aviation Training Switzerland.

Replacing Wolfensberger at Eurowings will be Matthias Spohr, who will become the airline’s new COO on the same date. Currently CEO of Lufthansa Aviation Training, Spohr has extensive operational experience within the Group, including leadership roles at Germanwings and Eurowings, while continuing to fly as an Airbus A320 captain for Lufthansa Airlines.

Meanwhile, Michael Kircher has been appointed CEO and Accountable Manager of Lufthansa City Airlines, effective 1 November 2026. He will also become Co-Managing Director of Lufthansa Aviation GmbH. Kircher joins from Austrian Airlines, where he has been responsible for crew training while also serving as an Airbus A320 captain. He succeeds Peter Albers, who will step down from management to focus entirely on his flying duties with Lufthansa Airlines.

The Group also paid tribute to outgoing Edelweiss CEO Bernd Bauer, whose aviation career began at Crossair in 1994 before holding senior positions at SWISS and leading Edelweiss since 2014. Between 2022 and 2025, Bauer also headed Discover Airlines, overseeing the development of Lufthansa’s leisure airline business. Lufthansa Group Chief Commercial Officer Dieter Vranckx praised Bauer’s entrepreneurial leadership and his role in transforming both Edelweiss and Discover Airlines into successful and sustainable businesses.

Peter Albers was similarly recognised for leading the launch and early development of Lufthansa City Airlines. Lufthansa Airlines Executive Board member Heiko Reitz credited him with establishing the foundations for the carrier’s future growth and expressed confidence that Michael Kircher’s operational experience would support the airline’s next phase of expansion.

The appointments reflect the Lufthansa Group’s continued focus on strengthening leadership across its expanding portfolio of airlines while supporting the long-term development of its leisure and regional operations.