Flughafen Bremen GmbH has appointed Rainer Schwarz as co-managing director and restructuring executive to lead its financial turnaround alongside airport chief executive Marc Cezanne. Schwarz has a one-year contract and will intensify cost-cutting measures at the financially troubled airport, which faces the loss of Ryanair from the start of the 2027 summer schedule after negotiations over charges and operating conditions failed.
Ryanair has recently carried about 400,000 passengers a year at Bremen, equivalent to roughly one-fifth of the airport’s total passenger volume. Its withdrawal will leave a significant gap in both traffic and revenue, while Lufthansa’s Frankfurt feeder service has also been reduced before a limited resumption in 2027 following fee reductions.
Schwarz has managed airports in Nuremberg, Düsseldorf, Berlin Brandenburg, Rostock-Laage and Münster-Osnabrück, where Ryanair expanded its network during his tenure. He may seek to reopen discussions with the airline, arguing that commercially attractive terms could prompt a rapid return if Bremen can avoid operating at a loss. No renewed agreement, route announcement or timetable has been confirmed.
The appointment places Schwarz alongside Cezanne, who remains responsible for the airport’s day-to-day operations. His immediate task is to assess the financial shortfall and identify further savings and revenue measures while improving Bremen’s appeal to airlines.