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 will post a net loss for 2010, the airline says, sending its shares down by more than 4% Friday. That prediction came after it earlier said it would exceed the 2009 operating profit of €29 million ($38.9 million). Air Berlin blamed the cold winter weather in December, an air traffic control strike in Spain and the continued strike threat by its own pilots. But the airline is also suffering from the high cost of changing its business model from a low-cost hybrid to a quality airline that plans to join the Oneworld alliance in 2012.
The European Commission blocked the planned merger of Greek carriers Aegean and Olympic on Wednesday. "The merger between Aegean and Olympic would have led to a quasi-monopoly in Greece and thus to higher prices and lower quality of service," according to Competition Commissioner Joaquin Almunia. It would have controlled more than 90% of the capacity to Greece, the EC concluded, and there were “no realistic prospects” of any remedial measures.
FRANKFURT — As expected, Germany is further reducing the number of Airbus A400M military airlifters slated for its air force. The parliamentary budget committee on Jan. 26 approved of an order for 53 of the aircraft, but 13 are to be remarketed for exports (Aerospace DAILY, Jan. 26).
