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Eli Messer, CEO of Austrian Airlines in Israel, is in the coming days expected to announce his retirement as from 1st January 2010, after a period of 46 years with the company. From that date it is expected that Austrian Airlines will begin the process of assimilating its activities as part of the Lufthansa group.

Austrian Airlines is to begin its new direction with the expected retirement of CEO of the company in Israel after 46 years service.  At the same time the company is expected to start the process of assimilating its activities in to those of the Lufthansa group, following the purchase of 96 percent of its share capital.

Although the two parties are yet to issue an official announcement on the matter, it is expected that the two companies will operate in the same way as in other countries in which they cooperate on operations, sales, marketing and other activities.  Eli Messer confirmed the date of his retirement, but refused to comment on the direction of Austrian Airlines, saying that an official announcement from the company’s headquarters in Vienna would soon be published.

Messer already revealed that the representatives of three companies in Israel, Lufthansa, Swiss and Austrian, will work as a single group under the same roof and with one CEO. “Lufthansa sales personnel will also be forced to meet the targets of Austrian and Swiss,” said Messer.

Eli Messer further revealed that the plan at present is for Dapha Ben-Moshe, head of sales and marketing at Austrian Airlines to head the team until the merger is completed.  Avner Gordon, CEO for Swiss International, is expected to continue in his position without change.

Lufthansa in Israel reported that it is the aim of the company to carry out the correct synergy for all of the subsidiary companies globally.