04:07pm (CET), 18 December 2016
Air Berlin PLC appoints Thomas Winkelmann as successor of Stefan Pichler as new Chief Executive Officer
London, 18 December 2016 – In its meeting of today, the Board of Directors of Air Berlin PLC has appointed Mr. Thomas Winkelmann as new Chief Executive Officer and member of the Board of Directors of Air Berlin PLC with effect from 1 February 2017. Until now Thomas Winkelmann has been Chief Executive Officer of the Munich hub of Deutsche Lufthansa AG since November 2015. The current Chief Executive Officer Stefan Pichler will, on his own request, resign from his office with effect from 1 February 2017 and return to his home country of Australia. Under the leadership of Stefan Pichler since February 2015, Air Berlin PLC had initiated the restructuring of the Air Berlin group and resolved to wet lease 38 aircraft to companies of the Deutsche Lufthansa group and to sell the short- and medium-haul touristic business to a new airline group to be newly established by TUI AG and Etihad Airways group. The Air Berlin group shall in future operate approximately 75 aircraft with a focus on long-haul traffic from hubs in Düsseldorf and Berlin. Thomas Winkelmann will continue the implementation of the measures resolved.