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.
Virgin Atlantic Airways expects to shrink capacity in 2009 to counter the global slump in air travel. CEO Steve Ridgway said in a Bloomberg Television interview that he hoped Virgin would not be forced to cut routes, but remain present in all of its existing markets.
German pilot union Vereinigung Cockpit faces a prolonged struggle for power until April, when elections will determine whether the current moderate leadership is able to keep control. The union suffered a big setback when its policy chief Michael Tarp resigned under pressure. Tarp was the most influential union representative in the German air transport industry who helped establish acceptable pay conditions in the growing low-fare carrier sector while also keeping pay standards high at market leader Lufthansa.
