11.08.2023
Christian Kunsch, Managing Director at Hamburg Airport since 2019, will move up as Chairman of the Executive Board at the beginning of the year, succeeding Michael Eggenschwiler, who will end his tenure after more than 20 years and retire at the end of the year.
Berit Schmitz will join the Executive Board next year. The banker and graduate in business administration has many years of experience in the transport sector, having worked for Hanover Airport for 16 years in various management positions up to executive management and, until her move next year, as Managing Director for the Mainzer Verkehrsgesellschaft.
By filling the two management positions, the shareholders are ensuring continuity and experience with the Hamburg location, but at the same time a high level of professional expertise in the aviation sector.
State Councillor Andreas Rieckhof, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Flughafen Hamburg GmbH: "Hamburg Airport is an important traffic location for the entire northern German region - but also a well-managed company that is preparing itself in many ways for the challenges of the future in air traffic. The previous management has steered the airport safely and positioned it with great foresight. We are reluctant to let Mr Eggenschwiler go. All the more reason for us to be pleased that Mr Kunsch will remain with us in a new role and that we have found a very good addition to the management in Ms Schmitz. This way we can create a continuous transition and continue to be very well positioned."
Gerhard Schroeder, Deputy Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Flughafen Hamburg GmbH and Managing Director of AviAlliance: "With the new appointment, Hamburg Airport is staying on course. The succession to Michael Eggenschwiler is now in good order. From a commercial point of view as well as in terms of flight operations, Flughafen Hamburg GmbH will continue to have a reliable and competent management team from the coming year. I wish both of them all the best and much success in their new tasks.
Christian Kunsch: "It is an honour for me that the shareholders have entrusted me with the chairmanship of the Executive Board as of 1 January 2024 - this gives me the opportunity to continue the successful work started with Michael Eggenschwiler and to shape the future of the airport. We are currently noticing how strongly the demand for air travel is picking up again. Here, it is important to continue the development towards sustainable infrastructure and aviation technology. I am looking forward to tackling this task as part of the team and having an experienced aviation expert on the management board."
Berit Schmitz: "I am very pleased to take up the position of Commercial Director at Hamburg Airport and to continue writing the success story of the largest airport in Northern Germany together with Christian Kunsch. After the Corona pandemic, it is now a matter of restoring the growth in air traffic and tackling the challenges of the future. I look forward to soon getting to know my colleagues at the airport company itself and the business partners at the airport and to exchanging ideas."
The new management team will take office in the first quarter of next year; Christian Kunsch will assume the new role on 1 January, Berit Schmitz on 1 April at the latest. Shareholders of the partially privatised airport are the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg with 51 per cent and AviAlliance GmbH with 49 per cent.
About Hamburg Airport
Hamburg Airport is the largest international airport in northern Germany. With 11.1 million passengers in 2022, passenger numbers have risen again faster than expected after the pandemic. By comparison, the pre-Corona year 2019 saw over 17 million passengers. A wide-ranging route network is offered from Hamburg: Around 55 airlines fly directly to over 120 national and international destinations from Hamburg. Around 1,000 destinations worldwide can be reached with only one change of flight. Around 15,000 employees work in almost 250 companies on the airport site (Hamburg Airport Group: around 1,800).
