Lufthansa Group Names Lorenza Maggio as Brussels Airlines CEO

‍BRUSSELS — Lufthansa Group has appointed Lorenza Maggio as the next Chief Executive Officer of Brussels Airlines (SN), succeeding Dorothea von Boxberg, who will leave the Belgian carrier at her own request on August 31, 2026.

Maggio’s appointment remains subject to approval by the Board of Directors of SN Airholding, Brussels Airlines’ parent company.

In addition to leading Brussels Airlines, Maggio will serve as Executive Board Representative to the European Commission, a role that underscores the carrier’s strategic importance inside Lufthansa Group and its position in Brussels, the center of European Union policymaking.

From ITA Integration to Brussels

Maggio, an Italian national, has served on the ITA Airways Board of Directors since January 2025 as Chief Strategy and Integration Officer. In that role, she has overseen ITA’s integration into Lufthansa Group and supported the Italian carrier’s strategic development.

That experience is directly relevant to Brussels Airlines, which operates as a Lufthansa Group network carrier while maintaining its own Belgian identity, Brussels hub role, and long-haul focus, particularly toward Africa.

Before joining the ITA board, Maggio held several senior positions across Lufthansa Group, including Vice President Sales for the Group’s network airlines across Europe outside the home markets, the Middle East, and Africa. She has also held leadership roles at Eurowings and LSG Group.

A Political and Strategic Role

The additional European Commission representative role is notable.

Brussels Airlines is not only Belgium’s national carrier; it is also based in the city where European aviation policy, competition rules, sustainability regulation, consumer-protection standards, and slot policy are shaped. Having the airline’s CEO also serve as Lufthansa Group’s Executive Board Representative to the European Commission gives the appointment a political dimension beyond the airline’s day-to-day operation.

It also places Maggio at the intersection of airline strategy and EU policy at a time when European carriers face pressure over sustainability rules, airport capacity, passenger rights, consolidation, and competition oversight.

Von Boxberg to Step Down

Dorothea von Boxberg will leave Brussels Airlines at her own request after leading the carrier through a period of renewed profitability, network development, and closer integration within Lufthansa Group.

Lufthansa Group Chief Commercial Officer and SN Airholding Chairman Dieter Vranckx thanked von Boxberg for her years of service and said Maggio’s international experience and knowledge of the Group made her well suited to lead Brussels Airlines as an integrated hub airline.

Bottom Line

The appointment signals continuity rather than disruption.

Maggio brings deep Lufthansa Group experience, direct integration work from ITA Airways, and a sales and commercial background across multiple markets. That combination fits Brussels Airlines’ current role: a smaller but strategically important network carrier with a Brussels hub, a strong Africa franchise, and a growing place inside Lufthansa Group’s multi-airline system.

For Brussels Airlines, the leadership change comes with two priorities: preserving the carrier’s Belgian identity and Africa-focused network strength while aligning more closely with Lufthansa Group’s broader commercial, political, and integration agenda.

Maggio’s appointment suggests Lufthansa Group wants both.