Lufthansa Group reshuffles management at Edelweiss, Eurowings and City Airlines

International

New chief executives and operations leaders will take up their roles between October and November 2026

The Lufthansa Group is making several changes to the management teams of its airlines. Edi Wolfensberger will become CEO of Edelweiss, Matthias Spohr will take over as Chief Operating Officer of Eurowings, and Michael Kircher will lead Lufthansa City Airlines while also joining the management of Lufthansa Aviation GmbH.

The appointments affect three strategically important parts of the Group: leisure travel, the European point-to-point business and the continued development of Lufthansa City Airlines.

Edi Wolfensberger to lead Edelweiss

Edi Wolfensberger will become CEO of Swiss leisure airline Edelweiss on 1 October 2026. He succeeds Bernd Bauer, who is leaving the Lufthansa Group.

Wolfensberger currently serves as COO of Eurowings. The Swiss national began his aviation career at Swiss International Air Lines in 2008 and has since held a number of senior positions within the Group. These included Managing Director of Lufthansa Aviation Training Switzerland as well as COO and Accountable Manager of Brussels Airlines.

Matthias Spohr takes over operations at Eurowings

Matthias Spohr will succeed Wolfensberger as COO of Eurowings on 1 October 2026. He has headed Lufthansa Aviation Training since 2021 and has held several management roles within the Group since 2013.

His previous positions include Head of Fleet at Germanwings and responsibility for flight operations at Eurowings. Spohr is an Airbus A320 instructor and also continues to fly as a captain for Lufthansa Airlines. A successor at Lufthansa Aviation Training will be appointed at a later date.

Michael Kircher appointed CEO of Lufthansa City Airlines

Michael Kircher will become CEO and Accountable Manager of Lufthansa City Airlines on 1 November 2026. He will also serve as Co-Managing Director of Lufthansa Aviation GmbH.

Kircher joins from Austrian Airlines, where he is currently Nominated Person Crew Training and Head of Training, while also flying as an Airbus A320 captain. He has additionally served as interim Accountable Manager at Austrian Airlines.

He succeeds Peter Albers, who will focus fully on his role as a Lufthansa Airlines captain.

“Peter Albers assumed responsibility during a challenging period and, together with his team, successfully developed Lufthansa City Airlines following its establishment,” said Heiko Reitz, Member of the Executive Board of Lufthansa Airlines. “I look forward to working with Michael Kircher, who has achieved a great deal at Austrian Airlines and will use his experience and expertise to successfully develop Lufthansa City Airlines further.”

Bernd Bauer leaves after more than three decades in aviation

Bernd Bauer will leave the Lufthansa Group on 1 October 2026. He began his aviation career at Crossair in 1994 and later held several management positions at SWISS before becoming CEO of Edelweiss in 2014.

Between 2022 and 2025, he also led Discover Airlines and helped establish the carrier in the German leisure travel market.

“Throughout his exceptional career within the Lufthansa Group, Bernd Bauer has played a decisive role in advancing the Group’s leisure airline business,” said Dieter Vranckx, Chief Commercial Officer of the Lufthansa Group. “Through his excellent management, Bernd Bauer laid the foundations for sustainable—and therefore successful—growth at both airlines.”

Leadership changes support further growth

The appointments bring experienced operational managers into key positions across the Lufthansa Group. Edelweiss gains an executive with broad airline experience, Eurowings promotes a manager with a strong flight operations background, and Lufthansa City Airlines receives a new chief executive with extensive expertise in training and operational responsibility.