SunExpress, a joint venture of Turkish flag carrier Turkish Airlines (THY) and German flag carrier Lufthansa, on Thursday appointed Marcus Schnabel as its new CEO, effective from Feb. 1, 2026.
"He will succeed Max Kownatzki, who will assume a new role as Chief Executive Officer of Eurowings," SunExpress said in a statement.
Marcus Schnabel will join SunExpress from Lufthansa Group, where he has served as Deputy Hub Manager Munich since 2024 and was in charge of Ground Operations at Lufthansa Airlines' Munich Hub. One of Lufthansa's biggest hubs undertook a comprehensive turnaround program under his direction to improve customer satisfaction and operational excellence, according to the statement.
To provide a seamless executive management transition, it stated that Kownatzki, who has been SunExpress's CEO since 2020, will remain in that role until Jan. 31, 2026.
"Max Kownatzki assumed a pivotal role at the very onset of the COVID-19 crisis and led SunExpress with a steady hand through one of the most challenging periods our industry has faced. Under his successful leadership, SunExpress delivered strong financial performance, achieving sustainable growth in a highly competitive environment," Ahmet Bolat, chair of SunExpress’s board of directors, said.
“I am very pleased that Marcus Schnabel will be taking on the role of CEO at SunExpress. With a sterling record of leadership and a deep understanding of SunExpress’s mission, he embodies the qualities necessary to navigate the airline through its next phase of growth," he added.
Commenting on his appointment, Schnabel said: "SunExpress has firmly established itself as a dynamic and resilient airline, consistently delivering sustainable growth in recent years. I am truly excited to join this exceptional team and help shape the next chapter of its success."
Founded in Türkiye's Mediterranean resort city of Antalya as a joint venture between Turkish Airlines and Lufthansa, SunExpress serves as a tourism ambassador between Türkiye and Europe, drawing on 35 years of experience and leisure airline expertise.
Operating flights to 237 routes across 35 countries, SunExpress carries nearly 15 million passengers annually with over 4,500 employees based in Antalya, Frankfurt, Izmir, Ankara and Dalaman.
