New LBA president pledges faster, more digital procedures

Germany's transport minister, Steffen Bilger, has formally installed Alexander Schott as president of the Luftfahrt-Bundesamt (LBA), the country's federal aviation office based in Braunschweig. Schott, a 56-year-old lawyer, has led the agency since August 1, 2026. Tuesday's ceremony marked his official inauguration.

Schott said he intends to push further digitisation at the LBA and turn it into a more effective, forward-looking regulator. Bilger pointed specifically to aviation medicine as an area where processing times need to improve.

Before joining the LBA, Schott worked at Germany's federal defence ministry. There he was responsible for research and innovation, as well as digitalisation and the rollout of artificial intelligence within the armed forces.

He is the eighth head of the LBA since the agency was founded nearly 72 years ago. His predecessor, Jörg-Werner Mendel, moved into phased retirement at the end of January 2026.