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.
Spain’s long-haul leisure carrier Air Comet stopped flying on Tuesday, stranding thousands of passengers at airports in Spain and Latin America. The carrier’s fleet was impounded through a London court order that had been pursued by German HSH Nordbank. The Spanish government also has now withdrawn Comet’s operating license, saying the airline lacks the financial means to continue flying.
Estonia’s government says it is looking for an investor in the country’s national airline. The state is in talks with SAS Group to take over the Scandinavian carrier’s 49% stake following SAS’ strategic shift to focus more on the home market. “Certainly the aim of the government isn’t to keep Estonian Air in the state’s hands even if this transaction will be possible,” Prime Minister Andrus Ansip said in Tallinn. Estonian has been unprofitable for the past year, but it is also under political pressure to continue serving money-losing routes.
Ryanair has scrapped earlier plans to order up to 200 Boeing 737-800s, a deal that could have been a major boost for Boeing at the bottom of the economic cycle. The decision comes as a consequence of Ryanair’s more fundamental strategic decision to halt its rapid expansion course earlier than planned, although the airline attributes the decision to a disagreement over terms of conditions of the order.
