Thomas Schürmann

Managing Director Germany

Frankfurt, Hesse, Germany

About

I am an air cargo professional with 20 year of international management experience and a passion for the aviation industry. With a strong background in cargo operations and -compliance I combine experiences from a cargo/ground handling as well as airline perspective.

Experience

  • Managing Director at FCS Frankfurt Cargo Services GmbH
    Apr 2026 - Present · 3 mos

  • Etihad (9 yrs 10 mos)
    • Head of Cargo Operations & Delivery
      Jan 2022 - Feb 2026 · 4 yrs 2 mos

      Responsibility and accountability for Etihad’s global cargo operation at passenger and freighter stations, AUH hub and the end-2-end cargo service delivery and compliance. The scope includes: - Management of global cargo and freighter ramp handling (80+ stations) via contracted 3rd party providers - Management of domestic & international Road Feeder Service (RFS) networks - Performance and supplier management via set KPIs, robust contract (SGHA) and Service Level Agreements (SLA) - strategic supplier management via global partnerships (GHA) - Virtual oversight and service recovery management via state of the art Cargo Operations Center - AUH Hub Performance Management and oversight to ensure efficient and reliable transfer connections into the global network - ULD Management (incl. daily operation, fleet structure, global performance and supplier management) - Cargo Security (regulatory compliance with applicable regularities, incl. EU/US) - Cargo Training (regulatory compliance and training development) - Quality Control of 3rd party providers and internal processes (audit program) to ensure a robust and high quality service delivery - Export Control (compliance with sanction laws and dual use requirements) - Cargo Products - operational management of specialized cargo products (Pharmaceuticals, Perishables, Live Animals etc.) and special commodities - Product standardization and certification (IATA Center of Excellence for Independent Validators [CEIV]) - Digitalization and process automation across cargo operations, aiming for continuous improvement and increased efficiencies - Direct staff responsibility of 100+ Etihad employees, excl. outsourced providers. - Ownership of cost budget US$ 150m+

    • Senior Manager Operational Integrity (Cargo)
      Mar 2021 - Dec 2021 · 10 mos

      Responsible for - ULD Management (incl. daily operation, fleet structure, global performance and supplier management) - Cargo Security (regulatory compliance with applicable regularities, incl. EU/US) - Cargo Training (regulatory compliance and training development) - Cargo Quality Control Management of 3rd Party handling providers (supplier audit program) - Export Control (compliance with sanction laws and dual use requirements) - strategic supplier/performance management of global cargo handling partners (GHA) - Cargo Products - operational management of specialized cargo products (Pharmaceuticals, Perishables, Live Animals etc.) and special commodities

    • Senior Manager Compliance - Cargo
      Jan 2020 - Mar 2021 · 1 yr 3 mos

      Responsible for - ULD Management (incl. daily operation, fleet structure, global performance and supplier management) - Cargo Safety performance management (SMS) - Cargo Security (regulatory compliance with applicable regularities, incl. EU/US) - Cargo Training (regulatory compliance and training development) - Cargo Quality Control Management of 3rd Party handling providers (supplier audit program) - Export Control (compliance with sanction laws and dual use requirements) - strategic supplier/performance management of global cargo handling partners (GHA)

  • Flughafen Düsseldorf Cargo GmbH (10 yrs 3 mos)
    • Head of Marketing Sales & Special Projects
      Jul 2015 - Apr 2016 · 10 mos

      Responsible for: - Account Management, incl. AB, AA, BA, CA, DL, EK, EY, LH - Cargo Handling Contract management & negotiations (SGHA, SLA) - Cargo Business Development for DUS Airport - Management of DUS Cargo Sales & Marketing department - Cargo Route Development, Market Research, international representation of DUS Cargo and Cargo Charter Sales - Open of DUS Pharma Center - IATA CEIV Pharma certification

    • Manager Marketing & Sales
      May 2011 - Jun 2015 · 4 yrs 2 mos

    • Assistant Marketing & Sales
      Jan 2009 - Apr 2011 · 2 yrs 4 mos