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.
German charter carrier Aero Flight will say on Friday who is behind a European consortium that is buying the airline, a company spokesman told The DAILY this week. The group could be linked to Saarbruecken-based Cirrus Airlines, although Cirrus CEO Gerd Brandecker denied any interest in Aero Flight. Aero Flight was launched in late 2003 as the successor of bankrupt Aero Lloyd and operates a fleet of six Airbus A320 and A321s, mainly to leisure destinations. The company has been known to be in dire financial straits for months. -JF
The second Airbus A380 made its first flight yesterday in Toulouse and will join the first in the aircraft certification program. The plane took off at 10:49 a.m. local time with two pilots and three test flight engineers on board. The flight focused on the Southwest of France and the region west of Toulouse. The second A380 off the line, MSN004, will be used for the hot-and-high as well as cold weather trials later this year and next year. Meanwhile, MSN001 has accumulated 105 flights and 366 flight hours.
Lufthansa's mainline pilots could opt for a strike by the end of the month, if the airline and its employees cannot reach an agreement by then in a long-standing dispute over the current scope clause. The company and pilot union Vereinigung Cockpit (VC) are expected to meet next week in yet another round of talks. According to industry sources, pilot representatives are pushing for a quick decision and are under pressure from members to defend their interests.
