Jens Flottau

Executive Editor, Commercial Aviation

Frankfurt, Germany

Summary

Based in Frankfurt, Germany, Jens is executive editor and leads Aviation Week Network’s global team of journalists covering commercial aviation.

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.

Articles

Jens Flottau (Frankfurt)
Wizz Air and Sky Europe are emerging as Central and Eastern Europe's fastest-growing low-fare carriers, but doubts remain whether both can survive independently in the longer term. Both airlines have been taking advantage of the European Union's eastward expansion that added 10 countries to the EU common aviation market. Growth rates are impressive in the largely uncharted territory, but profit appears a long way off, particularly for Sky Europe.

Jens Flottau (Frankfurt)
Central and Eastern Europe's legacy carriers are facing deeply rooted uncertainty and questions over their strategic positioning two years after their home markets were opened up and as low-fare carriers are making inroads. The region's three biggest carriers--LOT Polish Airlines, CSA Czech Airlines and Malev Hungarian Airlines--plus Austrian Airlines as an airline with huge exposure in the area, share the same difficulties: The customer base is eroded by new entrants, yields are falling and cost-cutting remains a challenge in legacy structures.

Jens Flottau (Frankfurt)
Air Berlin's takeover of DBA last month intensifies pressure on other German airlines to consolidate, but the process still presents high hurdles.