FOCA : Mathias Gantenbein becomes Deputy Director

The Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications (DETEC) has appointed Mathias Gantenbein as the new Deputy Director of the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA). He currently heads the Strategy and Management Support Division there. Gantenbein succeeds Martin Schmid Ding. 

According to the FOCA, Mathias Gantenbein (46) has many years of experience in aviation and management. From 2006 to 2011, the doctor of economics worked for Credit Suisse in the Aviation Finance division. From 2011 to 2013, he worked at FOCA in the Special Aviation Finance division of the Economic Affairs section. From 2013 to 2015, he headed the Federal Travel Center. He then served as CEO of Flughafen Bern AG from 2015 to 2019 and as Managing Director and member of the Executive Board of ISS Schweiz AG from 2019 to 2022.

Gantenbein has headed the Strategy and Management Support department at FOCA since August 2022. In this role, he is also Chief of Staff and advises the Director. He supports the office management in organizational and strategic matters, such as the AVISTRAT-CH programme to redesign the Swiss airspace and aviation infrastructure.

Mathias Gantenbein will take on the new role of Deputy Director from January 1, 2025. He succeeds Martin Schmid Ding. Martin Schmid Ding's successor and Head of the Services Division is Michael Saurer. He previously headed the Economic Affairs Section and will take on the new role on April 1, 2025.