Airline CEO works as cabin crew on flights to/from Frankfurt.
Lufthansa pilot turned airline CEO Jens Ritter has worn several hats during his years at the German airline. But on a recent trip from Frankfurt to Saudi Arabia and Bahrain and back, he gave the role of cabin crew a try for the first time.
On the outbound sector, he worked as an additional crew member in business class, and on the return to Frankfurt, he ventured further down in the back and worked alongside the crew in the economy.
Ritter, who took charge as the CEO of Lufthansa Airlines on April 1, 2022, said he has been working for the Lufthansa Group for many years but “never had the opportunity to work as part of the cabin crew”.
The CEO added that it was “interesting” and “also challenging” to assist the team on a flight. “I was amazed by how much there is to organise, especially if something doesn’t go as planned — for example, the meals offered on the menu cards were not exactly the meals loaded on board,” Ritter said.
He added that it was interesting to attend to the passengers and cater to their needs and “to deal with the different energy everyone has”.
Ritter shared that he used to fly as a pilot and thought that he knew about the “challenges a flight during the night entails”.
“But to be present and attentive and charming – when the biological clock just tells you to sleep – was something entirely different,” he added.
Ritter further appreciated the cabin crew for welcoming him and shared that he helped in the business class while going to Riyadh and “took care of our guests in economy class” on the way back to Frankfurt. “And honestly: I enjoyed every moment,” he stated.
The Lufthansa CEO underlined that he was astonished by the learnings he got in just a few hours of working with the cabin crew and thanked them and the passengers for giving him this experience.
“Deciding things in the office will be different after really feeling the decisions on board. Thank you to the amazing crew, the lovely guests and everyone involved for making this experience possible,” he said.
While not the first CEO to give the role a try, Ritter is indeed one of the rare airline leaders who has chosen to walk in the shoes of one of the most demanding roles in the industry to gain valuable insight that will no doubt help me make better choices for the airline he leads.