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 sale of BMI could be completed before the end of the year, Lufthansa CFO Stephan Gemkow said yesterday. Gemkow confirmed that the airline is “in advanced negotiations” but did not disclose further details. International Airlines Group (IAG) unit British Airways and Virgin Atlantic have publicly stated they are interested in buying the airline, mainly to take advantage of its significant portfolio of slots at London Heathrow Airport.
Star Alliance’s ability to retain Brazil’s largest carrier Grupo TAM as a member has diminished following the most recent ruling of Chile’s Tribunal de Defence de la Libre Competencia on the carrier’s planned merger with LAN Airlines to form the new Latam Group. In an often overlooked condition to the merger, the tribunal not only said the two airlines cannot be part of two different alliances (Oneworld and Star), but also that Latam cannot be a member of the same alliance as its biggest regional rival, AviancaTaca.
Robert Wall (Toulouse), Jens Flottau (Toulouse), Leithen Francis (Singapore)
Just before China Southern took delivery of its first Airbus A380, an industry official quipped it would not be long before one of the aircraft would disappear and be dissected by the Chinese aerospace industry. The notion may be far-fetched, but illustrates the depth of suspicion still associated with China's industrial strategy.
