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.
Olympic Air and Meridiana have entered a code-sharing deal that became effective on Aug. 16. Italian carrier Meridiana will put its code on Olympic services from Athens to Rome and Milan Malpensa. Olympic Air will code share on Meridiana flights from Athens to Milan Malpensa and Verona, from Mykonos to Milan and Verona, from Santorini to Milan and from Mykonos to Bari. Meridiana is Italy’s second-largest airline behind Alitalia and has a strong focus on leisure destinations.
Disposing of a large number of aircraft may not appear to be a sign of health, but for the aircraft leasing sector such moves could indeed signal the end of a two-year crisis that threatened the core of the industry. As the lease sector, which is critical to aircraft makers such as Airbus and Boeing, emerges from the economic downturn, concerns over contraction that hung over the industry for months have faded. Although the balance of power among some of the competitors has shifted, the dominant players remain largely unchanged.
Germany’s air transport industry is entangled in an increasingly bitter dispute over the proposed €1-billion ($1.3-billion) air travel tax the federal government plans to introduce in 2011, while legal experts claim the levy may not even comply with European law.
