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 ILA Berlin air show will not be held in June next year. German aerospace industry association BDLI is moving the show to Sept. 11-16, three months later than its usual schedule. BDLI said the decision was made because the Farnborough Air Show and Eurosatory will also take place in the early part of the summer. The delayed opening of Berlin’s new airport, Berlin Brandenburg International, also plays an important role. The airport was planned to become operational this fall, but the opening date has moved to June 2012.
Air Berlin moved deeper into losses last year. The airline grew revenues by 14% to €3.7 billion, but its net loss also widened, from €9 million to €97 million. Air Berlin attributed the deterioration–from a €28 million operating profit in 2009 to an operating loss of €9 million last year–mainly to extraordinary issues: the closing of the European airspace after the volcano outbreak in Iceland, a strike by Spanish air traffic controllers, strike threats by its pilots and the severe winter weather.
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) expects a “major slowdown in air travel” to Japan in the short term, but says it is too early to assess the financial impact. “The fortunes of the industry will likely not improve until the effect of a reconstruction rebound is felt in the second half of the year,” Director General and CEO Giovanni Bisignani says.
