Zurich Airport announces management reshuffle and restructuring

Zurich Airport is preparing a broad leadership and organisational reset, with changes due to take effect during 2027. The operator announced the reshuffle on Wednesday, October 21, as it sets new responsibilities across flight operations, commercial activities and property. Chief Operating Officer Stefan Tschudin is due to leave in mid-2027, while Chief Commercial Officer Stefan Gross will move to a senior role at Noida Airport in India.

The changes also alter how Zurich Airport manages its business on the ground. Lydia Naef, formerly head of real estate, will take charge of commercial operations beyond flight activity. A new department will bring construction projects together with the operation and maintenance of airport buildings. The company plans to recruit new Executive Board members to lead flight operations and the construction division. Despite these changes, the Group Executive Board will remain the same size. The restructuring comes as the airport prepares for extensive building work and manages the costs of its expansion in India.

Stefan Tschudin will leave Zurich Airport in mid-2027 after two decades with the company. He joined the airport in 2007 and became a member of its Executive Board in 2017. The operator said his departure had been agreed by both sides in light of new strategic priorities.

Tschudin’s exit is part of a management transition that will also bring new leadership for flight operations. Zurich Airport said recruitment for the Executive Board positions covering flight operations and the new construction division would begin in the coming weeks. The board’s overall membership will stay unchanged, so the reshuffle will change who leads key areas without expanding the group’s top management team.

The timing places the transition alongside a planned organisational restructuring in 2027. The airport is preparing extensive construction and refurbishment work, which will be handled through a newly organised department responsible for projects as well as building operations and maintenance. The changes give the coming year a central role in the company’s management plans.

Stefan Gross is moving from Zurich’s commercial operations to a leadership post at Noida Airport near New Delhi. Gross has overseen retail, catering and other services at Zurich Airport since 2016. He will become chairman of Noida Airport’s board, a move that puts a senior Zurich Airport executive at the centre of its Indian business.

Noida began operations in June 2026, but its start has been slower than originally expected. Zurich Airport expects the Indian airport to post an operating loss this year and forecasts break-even in 2027. The company’s costs at Noida are weighing on its results, even as strong travel demand has supported its Swiss operations. Zurich Airport expects full-year group profit to fall after recording a record profit in the first half of 2026.

The group has said it aims to expand its international business significantly over the longer term. Gross’s appointment comes as the operator works through the early operating phase at Noida and continues to build its presence in India.