Gender Male
Joerg Eberhart, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of ITA Airways, is an experienced aviation leader whose career spans flight operations, corporate strategy and leadership. Born on 11 February 1970, he earned his Master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Tübingen, Germany, in 1996. Alongside his academic studies,
he served as a paratrooper in the German army, achieving the rank of lieutenant and excelling in his officer training course, an early sign of the discipline and determination that would characterise his career.
Between 1991 and 1993, he attended the Lufthansa flight school, before becoming an Airbus A320 pilot for Deutsche Lufthansa AG from 1996 to 2000. While continuing to work as a pilot, he also embarked on a career in business and investment, taking on the role of Investment Management Executive at IVC Venture Capital AG in Frankfurt in 1998. He focused on start-up investments and corporate restructuring, contributing significantly to the acquisition of the first customer for AutoScout24, now Europe’s largest online car marketplace, and leading the turnaround of Optitool GmbH.
From 2002 to 2007, Joerg Eberhart was responsible for Subsidiary Management at Deutsche Lufthansa AG. In March 2007, his professional journey brought him to Italy, where he was appointed Vice President of the Air Dolomiti Marketing, Network & Commercial Unit in Verona.
In 2010, he became Managing Director of Aerologic in Leipzig, a cargo airline operating Boeing 777F aircraft. There, he successfully expanded long-range operations and built a strong corporate identity among the 500 employees. His skills soon caught the attention of Lufthansa again: from 2012 to 2014, he returned to Frankfurt to lead the SCORE programme within Lufthansa’s Core Business Passage. His restructuring initiatives contributed to a €1 billion improvement in EBIT.
Joerg Eberhart returned to Italy in 2014 as CEO of Air Dolomiti, a position he held until 2021. During his tenure, he also led Lufthansa CityLine, guiding both airlines through a period of operational renewal. He oversaw the transition of Air Dolomiti’s fleet from turbojet to Embraer jet, established a flight safety model in line with Lufthansa Group standards, and introduced a new leadership framework to promote employee potential and organisational excellence.
In 2021, he was promoted to Executive Vice President of Strategy, Organizational Development, and M&A for the Lufthansa Group, joining the GEC-Group Executive Council and reporting directly to the CEO and the Chairman of the Supervisory Board.
On 17 January 2025, following Lufthansa’s acquisition of a stake in ITA Airways, he was appointed CEO of Italy’s flag carrier. Shortly afterwards, Joerg Eberhart also took on the role of managing director. His appointment marked a new phase in ITA Airways’ evolution, combining Lufthansa’s international expertise with Italy’s national aviation ambitions.
A Knight of the Order of the Star of Italy for his commitment during Covid, he is also a university professor in Commercial Airline Management at the Politecnico of Milan and the University of Krems in Austria. He also holds Type Rated Captain certification on the Airbus 320.
