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 struggling leisure carrier LTU International Airways is understood to be close to securing a EUR200 million (US$249.5 million) capital injection that could be used to refinance EUR70 million in debt and to fund continued operations. The airline confirms it is in negotiations to finalize the package but declined to give more details. It also did not comment on information that Deutsche Bank could play a key role in the recapitalization efforts.
Air France-KLM expects to significantly top last year's operating profit in fiscal 2005 after the airline's net earnings rose 26% to EUR110 million (US$138 million). "The key macro point for us is that the network majors' fuel price surcharges have yet to cause any demand reduction -- in an industry which is conventionally seen as having price-elastic demand," JP Morgan analyst Chris Avery wrote in a research note.
EasyJet yesterday named Andrew Harrison, an industry outsider who formerly headed U.K. roadside assistance company RAC, to succeed Ray Webster as CEO. During Harrison's tenure, RAC went through one merger and one takeover while the share price tripled. An insurance company now owns the company. He will start the new job Dec. 1. Webster is retiring after 10 years at the helm of the low-cost carrier and plans to return to his home country of New Zealand.
