Suter resigns helm of SAirGroup’s flight business
Moritz Suter has stepped down as boss of SAirGroup's airline operations, including Swissair, after just 44 days in the job. Suter said he was unable to carry out his job effectively within the SAirGroup's management structure.
The group promptly issued a statement of regret, saying: “Eric Honegger, the president of the board of management and SAirGroup CEO, accepts with regret the immediate resignation of Moritz Suter”.
Suter was drafted in to take charge of the group’s airlines – which include Swissair, Crossair and Sabena, as well as a string of stakes in other European airlines – following the departure of SAirGroup’s chief executive, Philippe Bruggisser, in January.
SAirGroup spokesman, Urs Naef, told swissinfo that the reason behind Suter’s departure were not yet clear. “What we know is that he said he said he couldn’t get his work done in the way that he wanted to, and that under these circumstances he wanted to step aside.”
Naef confirmed that Suter would remain on the board of Crossair – a position he held before taking over the group’s entire airline business – and that a successor would be announced as soon as possible.
Suter is the third high-profile member of the SAirGroup to resign since the end of January. His resignation follows those of Bruggisser and the head of the group’s French interests, Paul Reutlinger.
Bruggisser’s departure heralded a major change of direction at SAirGroup – the company abandoned his strategy of expansion and is now trying to restore its operations to profitability.
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