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.
Norwegian Air Shuttle posted a NOK285.5 million (US$50 million) net loss in the first quarter of 2012, a little less than the NOK293.2 million loss recorded in the same period last year, due to high fuel prices and costs associated with the airline’s fleet expansion. The airline has an aggressive expansion plan, supported by an order for 222 Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies. Revenues were up 25% to NOK2.36 billion, while passenger numbers increased 19% to 3.65 million. The airline’s load factor also improved three percentage points to 77%.
Airbus has rolled out the first A320 fitted with sharklets. The aircraft, MSN5098, is one of seven line-fitted with the wingtips that are to be used in the flight-test campaign that is targeted to last 600 hr. The manufacturer, which has already performed initial testing using A320s retrofitted with sharklets, expects the devices to reduce fuel burn by up to 3.5%. The first sharklet-fitted aircraft to enter revenue service is scheduled to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2012.
German pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) elected Ilja Schulz to be its new president, replacing Winfried Streicher, who served a three-year term. Schulz, 44, is a Lufthansa Cargo MD-11 captain and was a member of the previous VC board, with responsibility for the union’s finances.
