Jürgen Raps appointed Lufthansa Executive Vice President Operations

Captain Jürgen Raps is taking over as Executive Vice President Operations at Lufthansa Passenger Airlines, effective 1 September. Lufthansa’s 56 year-old chief pilot is succeeding Captain Carl Sigel (59), who is to concentrate at his own request, on his duties as long-haul pilot pending his retirement next year. As accountable manager, Jürgen Raps will be responsible for the validity of the Air Operator Certificate vis-à-vis the Federal Aviation Agency (LBA) and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Jürgen Raps, born in Bayreuth on 11 August 1951, began his two-year pilot training course in Bremen after graduating from German High School (Abitur) in autumn 1970. He was subsequently employed as first officer on the Boeing 737 and the McDonnell Douglas DC 10. In 1984, he was promoted captain on the Boeing 737. From May 1990 to November the same year, Jürgen Raps completed an advanced management training course at the European Business School prior the nomination as head of the Lufthansa Pilot Training Center in Bremen in December 1990.

In March 1994, Jürgen Raps was named Boeing 737 fleet commander. He re-assigned to fly the Airbus type A340 in August 1995, and was qualified as training and check captain for that aircraft in January 1996. On 1 April 1996, the Lufthansa Executive Board appointed him chief pilot and senior vice president flight operations. In March 2007, Jürgen Raps was one of the world’s first four airline pilots to acquire a license to fly the Airbus A380. As captain, he piloted Lufthansa’s flagship-elect on its inaugural flight to the USA on 19 March.

According to his motto “I began my career with Lufthansa as a pilot and want to end it as a pilot”, Captain Carl Sigel is spending the time prior to his retirement in March 2008 flying the Airbus A330/A340. Born in Wilhelmsdorf/Württemberg on 3 March 1948, Carl Sigel has been Executive Vice President Operations at Lufthansa since 1 April 1997. At the request of the Executive Board, he will remain seated for Lufthansa on the Operations Committee of the International Air Transport Association (IATA).

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