Heinzmann heads to Albanian position
Albanian Airlines has appointed Christian Heinzmann as its chief executive and managing director.
Heinzmann was formerly the president and chief executive of Luxair and from 1997-2000 was the chief executive of Belgian regional VLM Airlines. The Albanian national airline is part of the Al Kharafi group from Kuwait. The company, headed by Nasser Mohammed Al Kharafi, is a major investor in Albania.
The airline currently serves 12 destinations from its hub at Tirana through its fleet of three BAe 146s. Heinzmann has been brought in to grow the airline and to help it develop its reputation as a European national carrier with all of the compliance expected with JAR and the European regulatory bodies.
He led Luxair during an extremely turbulent period in the wake of its fatal Fokker 50 crash in November 2002 and was instrumental in the Luxembourg carrier's switch to Embraer jets. Heinzmann says Albanian Airlines has the assets and resources available to help it achieve its aspirations and he will be looking at new routes and new aircraft as part of his brief.
Alan Peaford London
Source: Airline Business
