Airbus SE has appointed Spanish national Amparo Moraleda as its next board chair, succeeding René Obermann who will step down on October 1. The announcement, made on April 14, 2026, marks the first time a Spaniard will lead the European planemaker’s board.
Obermann, who assumed the chairmanship in 2020 after serving as a director since 2018, will not seek re-election at the next annual general meeting. His departure after six years aligns with Airbus’s ongoing leadership transitions amid production ramp-ups and strategic shifts.
Moraleda, a current non-executive director, brings industrial engineering expertise from ICAI Madrid and a PDG from IESE Business School. Her telecom background, including past roles at IBM and Telefónica, positions her to guide Airbus through supply chain pressures on A350 and A220 programs.
This change bolsters board continuity while injecting fresh strategic oversight. Airbus targets A220 production at 13 aircraft monthly by 2028 and full SAF compatibility by 2030, demanding steady governance amid defence growth and decarbonisation efforts.