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.
Guy Norris (Frankfurt and Washington), Jens Flottau (Frankfurt and Washington)
Airframe makers know a smooth entry-into-service is just as vital to encouraging new sales as a botched one is to putting them off. All the more reason for Boeing to be watching the debut of its 747-8 with Lufthansa with hawk-like attention as it pursues much-needed new orders for the stretched passenger model.
Airbus is already facing a huge bill to restore the A380 fleet to full life-cycle capabilities. But the cracks in wing rib feet are causing such huge operational disruptions that airlines want more than just repaired aircraft—compensation for lost revenues and profits is also sought.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) will hold its next annual general meeting June 2-4, 2013, in Cape Town, South Africa. South African Airways will be the host airline. The airline’s CEO Siza Mzimela says she hopes the event will promote key issues for the air transport industry in Africa—safety, infrastructure and the awareness of the role air transport plays for economic development. The decision was announced on the final day of IATA’s 2012 annual general meeting, which was held in Beijing June 10-12.
