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.
Ryanair yesterday announced a major expansion at Dublin in what is a serious blow to Aer Lingus. The low-fare carrier will introduce 12 new destinations from Dublin early next year. The airline plans to fly to Madrid, Vitoria, Seville and Almeria in Spain, Tampere (Finland), Billund (Denmark), Bologna (Italy), Friedrichshafen (Germany), Rzeszow (Poland), Pula (Croatia), Grenoble (France) and Oslo (Norway). The announcement comes at a particularly bad time for Aer Lingus, which is planning an initial public offering next month.
Finnair's second-quarter net profit tumbled to EUR3.3 million (US$4.24 million) as high fuel prices and lower fares in the Scandinavian air travel market eroded the bottom line. Sales were up 5.4% to EUR494.6 million (US$635.3 million). The carrier's yield dropped 4.6% in the quarter, as low-fare carriers intensified pressure on prices in the region. Finnair is more dependent than other airlines on European flights, as its long-haul network is limited.
A German district court in Kiel yesterday said a deal between Luebeck Airport and Ryanair that lowered the airline's landing charges and handling fees is illegal. The court said the airport should make public the exact content of the agreement and indicated that Ryanair might be forced to pay back alleged subsidies.
