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.
Germany's airline sector is undergoing rapid structural changes, with Air Berlin's announcement of an initial public offering (IPO) and the launch of close cooperation between DBA and LTU that could lead to a merger. Air Berlin's IPO comes after months of speculation about how the airline will finance its ambitious growth plans. The carrier plans to sell shares to fund its order for 60 Airbus A320s, a move welcomed by most analysts and observers.
Ryanair plans to launch six new flights from Pisa in September and five new services from its Shannon base in October. The additions at Pisa will boost the number of daily flights from that base to 17. Daily flights to Valencia and Trapani and three weekly flights to Oslo and Friedrichshafen start Sept. 14, followed by four weekly flights to Doncaster and Karlsruhe Baden on Sept. 15.
The European Aviation Safety Agency and the U.S. FAA approved of the Airbus A380 evacuation test, Airbus said this week. The aircraft will be certified to a maximum of 853 passengers, following the successful evacuation of 873 people on board in 79 seconds. To pass the test, all test passengers were supposed to have been out of the aircraft after 90 seconds. "We have passed a major milestone on the road to certification," Airbus Chief Operating Officer and A380 program head Charles Champion, said. -JF
