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.
Robert Wall (Paris), Jens Flottau (Frankfurt, Germany)
Airbus is giving itself until early next year to set A380 production targets for 2010, after airline deferrals have already forced the aircraft maker to curtail output for this year and acknowledge that a slowdown next year is coming.
Airbus has received just 11 net orders so far this year; it has received 30 new orders, but cancellations came in for another 19. The cancellations are for 14 aircraft in the A320 family of jets, and five are for the original version of the A350. The latter have been converted into new firm orders for five A350XWB-800s by India’s Kingfisher Airlines.
Airbus is significantly reducing the planned A380 output for this year and 2010. The manufacturer expects to cut deliveries in 2009 from 18 to 14 and predicts “more than 20” deliveries will take place next year, although the most recent and already revised forecast called for about 35 deliveries.
