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.
Air Berlin plans to grow its presence in the Berlin market significantly, once the new airport opens next year. New CEO Hartmut Mehdorn says he expects passenger numbers to increase from the current 8 million per year to about 13 million in 2020 at its home base. The airline will get its own dedicated pier at the new airport and is trying to build up a hub-and-spoke system, including several daily banks of flights. Air Berlin just announced a new long-haul service from Berlin to Los Angeles that is set to be launched next summer.
Having focused the past 17 months on capacity control and canceled orders for 25 narrowbodies, Kuwaiti low-fare carrier Jazeera now is looking at slowly growing the size of its fleet. As part of the effort, the carrier’s three-year Strategic Master Plan (STAMP), calls for Jazeera to grow its airline fleet by the end of 2014 to seven aircraft from five, and the leased fleet managed by Sahaab to eight aircraft from six. The number of destinations served will remain flat at 18, but the frequency of service will increase, management says.
Lufthansa subsidiary BMI is close to selling its BMI Regional division. The company stated that it is “in advanced discussions” to sell the unit to a “U.K.-based investor group previously associated with the regional business.” The investors would buy the airline in the form of BMI Regional shares, and the transaction would include all aircraft, employees and the route network.
