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.
For the first time in two years, Lufthansa experienced traffic growth. In 2003, the airline carried 1% more passengers than a year earlier, after the recent airline crisis caused declines in 2001 and 2002. Traffic was up 1.6% and capacity 2.4%, dropping load factor 0.6 percentage points to 73.3%. In December, traffic increased 3.6%, showing stronger signs of recovery in European air travel toward the end of 2003 and mirroring similar improvements at British Airways.
Air Berlin and Austrian startup Niki will form the first alliance between European low-fare airlines, and the German carrier will buy 24% of Niki. Air Berlin will take over marketing and sales distribution, using its sophisticated in-house software. Niki is expected to feed Air Berlin's hub in Palma de Mallorca, as well as expand services from Vienna to Eastern Europe. Niki and Air Berlin flights can be booked on both airlines' web sites.
British Airways recorded a 4.8% increase in passenger traffic in December. British Airways also increased its capacity 2.3%, resulting in a 1.7-percentage-point improvement in passenger load factor to 73.3%. In the fourth quarter, traffic rose 5.3% and capacity 2.9%. -JF
