Lufthansa appoints Elise Becker as vice-president for Asia-Pacific

German airliners group Lufthansa has appointed Elise Becker as its vice-president for Asia-Pacific, according to a statement.

Becker, who succeeds Alain Chisari, will assume her new position at the Lufthansa Group's regional headquarters in Singapore from May 1, Lufthansa said.

Chisari has been assigned a new role within the Lufthansa Group sales organisation, it said.

She will be responsible for directing all commercial activities of the Group's premium airlines Lufthansa, SWISS, Brussels Airlines and Austrian Airlines. Becker's new role includes managing and strategically developing all airline joint ventures and partnerships in the region.

"Becker brings with her a wealth of experience and expertise in the airline industry as well as the needed perseverance in these challenging times for Asia-Pacific which includes some of our most important markets world-wide," said Stefan Kreuzpaintner, senior vice-president (global sales) at Lufthansa Group.

Lufthansa Group and its airlines were among the strongest non-Asian carriers in the region before the coronavirus pandemic hit the industry.

"I am confident we will regain this position as soon as possible with Elise Becker at the helm of our Asia-Pacific airline business," he said.

George Ettiyil, senior director (South Asia) of Lufthansa Group Airlines, said, "We are looking forward to Elise Becker leading our Asia-Pacific airline business that includes India as an important, dynamic and growing market."

She is the right person to take the long-running history of the partnership between the Lufthansa Group and Indian aviation to the next level, he added.

"I feel honoured and privileged to have the opportunity to drive Lufthansa Group's airline business in Asia-Pacific, a region that is a global powerhouse and arguably the most vibrant and innovative area worldwide," said Becker.

She emphasised that key macroeconomic data show that the region is not only starting to recover from the coronavirus crisis but is also set to be the first one to do so.

"A one-size-fits-all strategy for Asia-Pacific won't work. It is important to respect the region's rich cultural diversity, its peopleand, consequently, individual customer preferences in each market," she said.

Partnerships will be an equally important factor for the Lufthansa Group Airlines to regain their former strength in Asia-Pacific, Becker said. "In theseunprecedented times, it is more important than ever to team up and strengthen the excellent ties we have with key airlines in the region.