Summary

  • Jens Fehlinger is set to become the CEO of SWISS on Oct 1.
  • Fehlinger has worked at Lufthansa Group since 2006, most recently being responsible for the group’s newest airline, Lufthansa City Airlines.
  • Fehlinger will be replacing Dieter Vranckx, who will become a part of the group’s Executive Board on July 1.

Jens Fehlinger, the current Managing Director of Lufthansa’s newest airline, Lufthansa City Airlines, will assume the role of chief executive officer (CEO) of Swiss International Air Lines, trading as SWISS, in the fall. Fehlinger has been the head figure in launching Lufthansa City Airlines, which began flights on June 26, 2024.

Lufthansa Group veteran

According to a statement issued by the Lufthansa Group, Fehlinger, who has been working at the group since 2006 and has held various management positions throughout his tenure at the company, will assume the position of CEO of SWISS on October 1, 2024, replacing Dieter Vranckx.

Jens Fehlinger

Photo: Lufthansa Group

Vranckx will become a member of the Lufthansa Group Executive Board on July 1, 2024. Vranckx’s new position was announced on February 22, when the airline group reduced its Executive Board from six to five members while also announcing that the current CEO of SWISS would become responsible for global markets and commercial steering hubs for a period of three years.

At the time, Lufthansa Group detailed that once Vranckx moved to Frankfurt, Germany, where the group was based, he would also become the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Directors of SWISS, replacing Remco Steenbergen, who will step down from the groups’ Executive Board.

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Active Airbus A320 pilot

Nevertheless, Fehlinger’s recent roles included being responsible for the group’s crisis management office and heading the ReNew restructuring project, as well as co-managing Lufthansa Cityline. At the same time, the executive led the group’s efforts to establish its latest airline, Lufthansa City Airlines.

Lufthansa Group detailed that the incoming CEO of SWISS also holds an Airbus A320 commercial pilot’s license, flying actively on behalf of Lufthansa Cityline. Fehlinger also graduated an Aviation Systems Engineering and Management degree at the University of Bremen, while also holding a master’s degree in Traffic and Transport from the Technical University of Darmstadt.

A Lufthansa Airbus A320 on an airport apron.

Photo: Lufthansa

Heike Birlenbach, the chief commercial officer (CCO) of SWISS, will assume the role of the CEO of the Swiss carrier on an interim base once Vranckx leaves his role on July 1. Birlenbach, who moved from Lufthansa to SWISS on January 1, has worked at the group since 1990, holding various management positions, primarily in sales and product development.

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Launching Lufthansa City Airlines

Fehlinger was also the head of Lufthansa City Airlines, which launched operations on June 26. The airline’s first flight departed Munich Airport (MUC) at 9:32 local time (UTC +2), arriving at Birmingham Airport (BHX) at 10:02 local time (UTC +1). The first flight was operated by an Airbus A320neo aircraft, registered as D-AIJI.

Lufthansa City Airlines livery

Photo: Lufthansa

Since launching operations on June 26, Lufthansa City Airlines has also launched flights from MUC to four airports in Germany: Bremen Airport (BRE), Cologne Bonn Airport (CGN), Dusseldorf Airport (DUS), and Hannover Airport (HAJ), becoming a part of Lufthansa’s feeder network.

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