He started his journalism career in 1992 as a freelance writer for Sueddeutsche Zeitung, Germany’s largest daily national newspaper and soon specialised in air transport. Jens joined Aviation Week and Aviation Daily in 2000 as one of the European correspondents. Later his role was expanded to cover international air transport. In 2013 he was named Managing Editor Commercial.
Jens frequently appears on radio and TV to comment on industry matters. In 2003, he received the Hugo Junkers Award of the German aviation press for his coverage of Fairchild Dornier’s bankruptcy. He was named the country’s top travel and air transport writer by the Travel Industry Club three times. Jens graduated from the Munich School of Journalism.
The revised opening date of Berlin’s new Brandenburg International (BBI) appears to be in question. The city’s mayor, Klaus Wowereit, while noting that the plan is still to move operations to BBI from Tegel and Schoenefeld airports on March 17, 2013, adds that the schedule should be subject to in-depth scrutiny, which leaves room for further delays.
Pinnacle Airlines, which is restructuring under Chapter 11 protection, is suspending negotiations with its unions while it prepares a new plan of reorganization, citing a need to cut labor expenses even more than originally anticipated because of cost pressures from Delta Air Lines.
Germany’s air passenger tax has serious implications for air travel demand in Europe’s largest economy, concludes the country’s Ministry of Finance. According to a ministry report, 2 million additional passengers would have flown last year if the tax did not exist. Passengers instead diverted to airports in Belgium, the Netherlands and France to avoid having to pay the tax.
