You voted: This is the top goal for 2023

This time the race was closer than ever. We asked you to vote on the top nominees for 2023. More than 2,000 readers did so. The top three candidates were close: there are only a few dozen votes between first and second place and between second and third place.

This time Martin Gauss took first place. About 25 percent of the votes fell on the head of Air Baltic. He managed to lead the airline, which was on the verge of bankruptcy, to profitability. The German has been running the airline since 2011. And with success.

A fleet of 100 aircraft

AirBaltic now operates a modern fleet of Airbus A220-300 aircraft. There are also signs of growth for the airline from Latvia. There are 44 Airbus planes already in use, and 50 were on order – until they announced in November that they would buy 30 more. Air Baltic also obtained options to purchase 20 additional aircraft. 100 planes are now completely realistic.

Martin Gauss. Photo: AirBaltic

AirBaltic plans to go public in 2024. It's an impressive achievement. The aeroTELEGRAPH jury therefore agrees with the readers' verdict. She named Martin Gauss the 2023 Pilot of the Year.

Indicators point to growth

aeroTELEGRAPH readers also acknowledged the performance of the other candidates. Eurowings president Jens Bischof was able to announce the shift in 2023 and the airline expects to be well positioned next year as well. New destinations and new aircraft should drive growth. At his heels was Christian Scherer, head of Airbus' civil aircraft division.