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.
Lufthansa is making significant changes to its management structure following the appointment of Carsten Spohr as new CEO of the passenger airline division. Spohr named Michael Kraus, currently managing director of Lufthansa’s Italian regional affiliate, Air Dolomiti, as head of the entire Italian business, including the unprofitable Lufthansa Italia operation. The airline’s previous managing director, Heike Birlenbach, was named head of Lufthansa’s Munich-based cabin crew.
French pilots union UPFL said yesterday that an independent review of Air France’s safety procedures puts in doubt the entire culture of the company and demands radical change. The review, commissioned by the operator in December 2009, comes with 35 recommendations, although the carrier decided to keep most of the conclusions under wraps (Aviation Daily, Jan. 26, 2010).
FRANKFURT — Germany plans to further reduce the number of Airbus Military A400Ms its air force will operate. The Bundestag’s budget committee is expected to follow a proposal made by the ruling coalition to use only 40 of the 53 A400Ms the country plans to order. The issue is on the committee’s Jan. 26 agenda. Juergen Koppelin, a high-ranking member of the liberal Free Democratic Party, says 13 aircraft will be returned to Airbus for export sales.
