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.
British Airways reached a deal with two unions representing ground staff and managed to avert a strike set for this coming Friday. BA and the two unions agreed on a 8.5% pay increase over the next three years and a GBP1,000 (US$1,800) bonus for each worker to be paid by late 2006. In return, the unions agreed to work with the airline to cut the average employee absent time of 17 days per year to 10. BA hopes this will save around GBP30 million (US$54 million) per year.
Jens Flottau (Frankfurt), Neelam Mathews (New Delhi)
As the world's largest travel market--and largest economy--the U.S. can exert enormous economic and political weight on airline operations. Other nations have little choice but to go along, or be banned from the lucrative U.S. market. Although they remain high on security alert levels, European airlines are complaining massively about new U.S. security regulations that they consider often unnecessary, badly implemented, sometimes redundant and conflicting with their national laws.
Members of British GMB union have voted in favor of going on strike to push through wage increases at British Airways. The union represents 2,600 baggage handlers and check-in agents. The earliest possible day for a strike would be Aug. 23, GMB said Friday.
