Germany's largest airline Lufthansa announced a reshuffling of its management board on Tuesday, with human resources head Bettina Volkens leaving the company at the end of the year.

The carrier, which has long been in conflict with a flight attendants' union over pay and pensions, said the HR & Legal department would be headed by the chief financial officer of Lufthansa's Swiss International Airlines, Michael Niggemann.

Lufthansa's executive board will be expanded to include a Customer & Corporate Responsibility position, to be filled by Brussels Airlines CEO Christina Foerster, the company said in a statement.