airberlin expands sales team for corporate sales sector

Germany’s second largest airline is expanding its sales team to continue improving the support it offers to travel management companies and corporate travel departments. “With the further expansion of our sales team for the corporate sector, we are sending a clear signal to the German market: the business travel market is of great importance to airberlin and we will continue to align ourselves in future with the needs and processes of our corporate customers and travel agency partners,” says Stefan Magiera, Vice President Corporate Sales.

Claudine Mischel is the new Business Sales Manager for the Bavarian region with headquarters in Munich. Originally from the Rhineland, she was most recently responsible for business operations in the United Arab Emirates as District Manager. Her predecessor in her new role was Sabine Fleischmann. Dana Minkwitz, from American Airlines, will take over the position of Business Sales Manager for the central region headquartered in Frankfurt. Her predecessor was Elisabeth Dürrbeck, who is taking over the region of North Rhine Westphalia from Kerstin Frase. Both Frase and Fleischmann will transfer to the airline’s Key Account Management, thus also helping to significantly expand and improve corporate customer support. Ulrich Welt is new to airberlin. As Manager Business Sales he will take over the support of corporate travel agencies in south-western Germany and will be the designated contact person for TMCs and Implants, particularly in the Stuttgart region. Welt has many years of experience in the industry and was previously employed with Aegean Airlines and Austrian Airlines, among others. Mischel, Minkwitz and Welt report directly to Jochen Hinz, Senior Manager Head of Business Sales Germany, who transferred to airberlin from American Airlines in January. The Corporate Key Account Management is directed by Katrina Pfeifer and includes the provision of personal support contacts for large and global corporate customers.

airberlin is one of Europe’s leading airlines and flies to 150 destinations in 40 countries. The second largest airline in Germany carried more than 33 million passengers in 2012. airberlin offers a global route network through its strategic partnership with Etihad Airways, which has a 29.21% share in airberlin, and through membership of the oneworld® airline alliance. The airline with the award-winning service operates codeshare flights worldwide with 14 airlines. The fleet has an average age of five years and is among the most modern and eco-efficient in Europe.