Eurowings’ new Chief Executive Officer (CEO), effective from February 2026, has been named. Max Kownatzki will step into his predecessor, Jens Bischof’s, role.
Eurowings’ New Chief Executive Officer Named
Max Kownatzki will take on the role of CEO from February 2026, after his successor, Jens Bischof, steps down from his 5-year term and 35-year leadership in the Lufthansa Group.
Under Bischof’s leadership, after he was appointed to the role in March 2020, Eurowings became one of the Lufthansa Group’s top-performing airlines after a long period of losses.
In 2025, Eurowings won the ‘Best Low-Cost Airline in Europe’ award from Skytrax, which strengthened the airline’s credibility and performance.
Upcoming CEO with “industry experience” and “top performance”
Holding a doctorate’s degree in business administration and a commercial pilot’s license, Kownatzki is currently CEO for SunExpress, a partner for Lufthansa Group and Turkish Airlines.
During his position with SunExpress, he led to airline to a historic increase of $2.2 billion revenue, and 15 million passengers in 2024.
Eurowings celebrates Kownatzki’s move into this role with the airline, given his top performance in his current role and extensive industry experience.
Kownatzki has held other leadership roles with the Lufthansa Group in previous years and is a co-founder of Eurowings Europe Flight Operations.
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