The European Business Aviation Association (EBAA) has named Holger Krahmer as its new secretary-general. He will start in January.

Krahmer‘s early career was in banking. He then served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) representing Germany’s Free Democratic Party. He was first elected in 2004 and served for 10 years. After leaving the European Parliament he worked with carmaker Opel Groupe as director of European Affairs. He then moved to Mercedes-Benz Group as head of its group representative office in Brussels.

“We are very pleased to welcome Holger at EBAA, especially during these challenging times for business aviation in Europe” said Juergen Wiese, chairman, EBAA. “Given his diverse industry experience, notable tenure in Brussels as a legislator and a commendable record in transport industry advocacy, we are optimistic about fortifying both EBAA and European Business Aviation under his guidance.”

EBAA has been looking for a secretary-general after the sudden death of Athar Husain Khan in March 2023. Husain Khan had held the role since 2018.

“Being intimately familiar with the challenges of the European transportation sector and how the European institutions work”, said Krahmer. “I look forward to this exciting position and I am well aware of the huge tasks that lie ahead to ensure that business aviation will continue to thrive, connect regions and enable economic and societal development as well as serve as an incubator for innovations to the overall aviation industry.”

The Free Democratic Party is seen as centre-right party in Germany. It is pro-free markets but also libertarian. During his time as an MEP Krahmer served on the European Parliament’s Committee on the Environment, Public Health and Food Safety.