Kay Kratky is expected to replace Jaan Albrecht as chief executive of Austrian Airlines following his endorsement by the supervisory board of parent Lufthansa.

The appointment is expected to be confirmed on May 12th.

Albrecht has accepted the job as chief executive of SunExpress, a joint venture of Lufthansa and Turkish Airlines.

“After a difficult period Austrian Airlines is well on track to further expand its position and become competitive.

“Now the focus is on a resolute modernization of its fleet and strengthening of Vienna as an air travel hub.

“Kratky is an ideal candidate to enable the airline to successfully continue along this path,” explained Carsten Spohr, chairman, Deutsche Lufthansa AG.

Kratky, aged 57, has been a member of the Lufthansa German Airlines Board since 2011.

As chief operating officer, he is responsible for flight operations and the Frankfurt hub with about 20,000 employees.

Born in Frankfurt, Kratky concluded his studies in mechanical engineering at the Technical University of Darmstadt before beginning his professional career at Lufthansa in 1979 by training to be a pilot.

He became training captain and fleet commander on the Boeing 747 and assumed the position of head of operations control at Lufthansa Cargo AG in 2001.

After serving as head of transport management and MD11 captain, he was appointed to be managing director of Jade Cargo International, Shenzen, China in 2008.

“I am pleased that we have found Kay Kratky, a highly experienced and accepted airline manager within the group, who can take the helm at Austrian Airlines,” states Harry Hohmeister, chairman of the supervisory board of Austrian Airlines.

“In my opinion Kay Kratky is the right candidate to lead Austrian Airlines into the next phase of its development, focusing on strengthening the air travel hub in Vienna, increasing profitability and exploiting growth opportunities.”