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 will expand its executive board from three to four members, according to several industry sources. The airline’s board of directors is expected to name Swiss Air Lines’ Christoph Franz as a new executive board member in charge of the passenger airline operation and integration of new subsidiaries, such as BMI, Austrian and Brussels Airlines. The board meets next Thursday ahead of the annual shareholder assembly. Lufthansa declined comment.
Austrian Airlines is understood to be forced to renegotiate the conditions of the planned takeover by Lufthansa. Industry sources say the financial situation of the partly state-owned carrier has deteriorated so much in the first quarter that the airline will be unable to meet the obligations agreed for closing the deal.
Christoph Debus, currently a managing director leisure carrier Condor, has joined the executive board of Air Berlin. Debus will be in charge of network and IT, Air Berlin said. He will start his new job on June 1. A replacement at Condor is not yet named.
