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.
Hans-Rudolf Woehrl, new owner of German low-fare airline DBA, plans to add two to four aircraft to DBA's fleet in 2004, but with DBA under pressure to achieve its turnaround within one year, Woehrl threatened to close it down if quick improvements don't happen. DBA posted an operating loss of EUR60 million in 2002 and was on track for a EUR70 million-EUR80 million loss in 2003, after April and May traffic was far below expectations. But Woehrl hopes to cut losses this year to around 35 million and reach break-even in 2004.
British Airways will suspend five routes, among them four within Europe, in the coming winter timetable. The airline will discontinue services from London Gatwick to Bremen, Brussels and Dusseldorf as well as from London Heathrow to Zagreb, Croatia. Also, it will no longer fly to San Diego as of Oct. 26.
Lufthansa's passenger traffic was up 1.2% in the first six months of the year, a sign that recovery in European air travel is still slow. The carrier increased capacity 3.8%, leading to a 71.9% load factor, 1.9 points below last year's level. Europe and the transatlantic market grew 3.2 points and 6.5%, but Asia was down 8.9%. -JF
