Münster/Osnabrück Airport (FMO) is starting the year 2026 with a completely revamped management team. As scheduled, Münster's mayor Tilman Fuchs took over as chairman of the supervisory board on January 1st.
He succeeds Dr. Martin Sommer, the district administrator of the Steinfurt district, who chaired the board for the past five years. Personnel continuity on the supervisory board is maintained, as Dr. Sommer remains in office as second deputy chairman. Together with Katharina Pötter, the mayor of Osnabrück, as first deputy chairwoman, the trio forms the political oversight body of this key transport hub for Westphalia and western Lower Saxony.
Parallel to the change on the Supervisory Board, a significant generational shift has taken place in operational management. Andrés Heinemann has officially assumed the position of Managing Director, succeeding Prof. Dr. Rainer Schwarz, who retired after nine years at the helm of the airport. With Heinemann, the shareholders' meeting has opted for an internal candidate: The 53-year-old business graduate has been working at FMO since 1996 in various positions. Most recently, as Head of Marketing and Communications, he was responsible for the strategic realignment and development of flight offerings, which gave him the decisive advantage over external applicants in the selection process.
The new management team is taking over the airport during a period of recovery. Following a successful start to the previous year, which saw a 12 percent increase in passenger numbers in the first quarter of 2025, the focus is now on further strengthening the airport's international connections. In his new role, Heinemann will work closely with long-time authorized signatory Thorsten Brockmeyer to position FMO as a stable regional airport in a dynamic market environment. The strategic priorities for the coming years will include expanding the tourist flight network and strengthening business travel connections to key European hubs.
The change in leadership symbolizes a period of stabilization following the challenging years of the industry crisis. While Prof. Dr. Rainer Schwarz guided the airport through a phase of consolidation, Andrés Heinemann is expected to leverage his in-depth market knowledge to establish new partnerships with airlines. The close collaboration between the management and the politically appointed supervisory board under Tilman Fuchs is intended to ensure that FMO continues to effectively fulfill its role as a key infrastructure provider for the export-oriented economy of the Münsterland and Osnabrück regions.