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.
Following a bitter dispute over many months, Air Baltic’s two main shareholders agreed to increase the airline’s capital by €153 million ($208 million), giving the airline enough support for operations through the low season and the planned renewal of its fleet. The Latvian government and Baltijas Aviacijas Sistemas (Baltic Aviation Systems, BAS) formally made that decision at a shareholder meeting on Thursday and said that the final details will be negotiated until Oct. 4, when the meeting is set to be resumed.
Lufthansa placed an order for 12 additional aircraft to continue its fleet renewal. The order includes two Airbus A380s, one A330-300, four A320s and five Embraer 195s. The decision was approved by the company’s supervisory board on Thursday. The two A380s will join the airline's fleet in 2014 and complement an existing order for 15 of the type, eight of which have already been delivered. Lufthansa says passenger demand for A380 flights has exceeded its expectations.
Long-time International Aero Engines partner Japan Aero Engines Corp. (JAEC) has signed on with Pratt & Whitney for a 23% risk-revenue share of the PW1100G engine that will power the Airbus A320NEO, and MTU Aero Engines is increasing its stake in the program to 18%. To mark the collaboration agreement with JAEC and MTU, which will have a combined 41% stake, Pratt is renaming the engine the PW1100G-JM.
