**A strategic reshuffle across Lufthansa's leisure and regional arms** Lufthansa Group has announced a sweeping leadership reorganisation at three of its key subsidiaries: Swiss leisure carrier Edelweiss, low-cost arm Eurowings, and the young regional airline Lufthansa City Airlines. Effective from autumn 2026, these appointments are more than a simple game of musical chairs. They reflect the group's deliberate strategy to consolidate its leisure and regional operations amid growing traffic and intense cost pressures. For aviation professionals, this is a clear signal that operational expertise and training backgrounds are becoming decisive criteria for top management roles. **Edelweiss gets a new CEO with a strong operational pedigree** From 1 October 2026, Edi Wolfensberger will become CEO of Edelweiss, succeeding Bernd Bauer, who leaves the group after more than 30 years in aviation, including 12 years at the helm of Edelweiss. Wolfensberger, currently COO of Eurowings, brings a wealth of group experience: he has held leadership positions at SWISS, Brussels Airlines, and notably Lufthansa Aviation Training Switzerland. His appointment underscores the importance Lufthansa places on operational excellence as Edelweiss expands its leisure network to destinations in Europe, Southern Africa, and the Indian Ocean. For ATPL students, this career path illustrates how a strong foundation in operations and training can lead to the highest executive positions. **Eurowings: a pilot-manager takes the COO seat** Matthias Spohr, brother of Lufthansa Group CEO Carsten Spohr, will step into the COO role at Eurowings on the same date. Since 2021, he has led Lufthansa Aviation Training, and he has previously held operational roles at Germanwings and Eurowings. Notably, he will continue to fly as a captain on the Airbus A320 for Lufthansa Airlines while fulfilling his new duties. This 'pilot-manager' profile is a hallmark of Lufthansa's leadership philosophy, blending hands-on flying experience with strategic oversight. For ATC and pilot trainees, this reinforces the value of maintaining flying currency even in senior management—a point often emphasised in airline management courses. **Lufthansa City Airlines: a training specialist takes the helm** Michael Kircher will become CEO and Accountable Manager of Lufthansa City Airlines on 1 November 2026, while also serving as Co-Managing Director of Lufthansa Aviation GmbH. Kircher arrives from Austrian Airlines, where he was responsible for crew training as Nominated Person Crew Training and Head of Training, while also flying the A320 family. He succeeds Peter Albers, who will return to full-time flying duties with Lufthansa Airlines. This appointment highlights the strategic importance of training and safety standards (EASA) as the new regional carrier expands its intra-European network to feed German hubs. For students pursuing careers in airline management, this demonstrates how expertise in crew training can be a springboard to top leadership roles. **A broader consolidation strategy** These leadership changes are part of Lufthansa's wider effort to cover the full spectrum of air transport: hub carriers (Lufthansa, SWISS), low-cost point-to-point (Eurowings), leisure medium and long-haul (Edelweiss, Discover Airlines), and regional (Lufthansa City Airlines). The group is also preparing governance adjustments, including changes at the supervisory board level in 2026. For aviation training students, this reshuffle is a reminder that the industry values versatile leaders who understand both the operational and commercial sides of aviation. As Lufthansa continues to invest in its leisure and regional brands, opportunities for pilots and managers with strong training backgrounds are likely to grow.