Wolfensberger, Matthias Spohr and Kircher take on new leadership roles within Lufthansa Group

Frankfurt, Germany – July 31, 2026 – Lufthansa Group announced a series of senior management appointments affecting three of its airlines, naming Edi Wolfensberger as the next Chief Executive Officer of Edelweiss, Matthias Spohr as the new Chief Operating Officer of Eurowings, and Michael Kircher as the future Chief Executive Officer of Lufthansa City Airlines. The appointments are part of the Group’s ongoing leadership succession planning and support the continued development of its multi-airline strategy.

The changes, approved by the respective supervisory bodies, will take effect during the fourth quarter of 2026.

Edi Wolfensberger appointed CEO of Edelweiss

Edi Wolfensberger, currently Chief Operating Officer of Eurowings, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of Edelweiss, Switzerland’s leading leisure airline and a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa Group. He will assume his new responsibilities on October 1, 2026, succeeding Bernd Bauer, who helped transform Edelweiss into one of Europe’s most successful leisure carriers.

Wolfensberger brings extensive operational experience from Eurowings, where he was responsible for flight operations, performance, safety and reliability. At Edelweiss, he will oversee continued growth, fleet modernization and network expansion while maintaining close cooperation with Swiss International Air Lines and Lufthansa Group.

Matthias Spohr becomes COO of Eurowings

Succeeding Wolfensberger at Eurowings will be Matthias Spohr, currently Chief Executive Officer of Lufthansa Aviation Training. He will become Chief Operating Officer on October 1, 2026.

An active A320 captain and flight instructor, Matthias Spohr has built a long career within Lufthansa Group. Under his leadership, Lufthansa Aviation Training strengthened its position as one of Europe’s leading aviation training organizations, providing pilot, cabin crew and technical training for airlines worldwide. A successor at Lufthansa Aviation Training will be announced in due course.

Michael Kircher to lead Lufthansa City Airlines

Lufthansa Group has also appointed Michael Kircher as Chief Executive Officer and Accountable Manager of Lufthansa City Airlines. He will take up his new role on November 1, 2026, succeeding Peter Albers, who is leaving the management board as planned to focus fully on his captain duties at Lufthansa.

Prior to this appointment, Michael Kircher held senior management roles at Austrian Airlines, gaining broad experience in airline operations, commercial management and network development. He will also serve as Co-Managing Director of Lufthansa Aviation GmbH.

Strengthening the Group’s multi-airline strategy

The appointments support the Group’s long-term strategy of developing a portfolio of complementary airlines serving distinct market segments while sharing operational expertise and corporate resources. The portfolio includes:

Lufthansa Airlines, the flagship network carrierSWISS International Air LinesAustrian AirlinesBrussels AirlinesEurowings, focused on point-to-point and leisure travelEdelweiss, Switzerland’s leading leisure airlineLufthansa City Airlines, focused on the European feeder networkEdelweiss

Founded in 1995 and headquartered in Kloten near Zurich, Edelweiss operates from Zurich Airport. Wholly owned by Swiss International Air Lines, the airline specializes in leisure travel and serves Europe, North America, South America, Africa, Asia, the Middle East and the Indian Ocean. Edelweiss is modernizing its long-haul fleet with the Airbus A350-900, replacing the A340-300, while continuing to operate Airbus A320 family aircraft on short and medium-haul routes.

Eurowings

Eurowings is Lufthansa Group’s largest point-to-point airline, operating an extensive network of domestic and international services across Europe with a fleet primarily composed of Airbus A319, A320 and A321 aircraft. The appointment of Matthias Spohr as COO is expected to further strengthen operational performance as the carrier expands in Europe’s competitive leisure market.

Lufthansa City Airlines

Lufthansa City Airlines is the Group’s newest airline, established to operate short and medium-haul feeder services to the hubs in Frankfurt and Munich. The airline is progressively expanding its fleet of Airbus A319 and A320neo family aircraft to enhance the competitiveness and efficiency of the Group’s European operations while maintaining premium service standards.

Outlook

The appointments of Edi Wolfensberger, Matthias Spohr and Michael Kircher underscore Lufthansa Group’s commitment to leadership continuity and internal talent development. With effective dates between October and November 2026, the Group is strengthening the management teams of three strategically important airlines while continuing to invest in fleet renewal, operational efficiency and sustainable growth.