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.
The future of DBA, one of the largest European no-frills carriers and a major competitor of Lufthansa in its home market, looks increasingly uncertain, following EasyJet's decision not to acquire the airline from parent British Airways.
EasyJet's decision this week not to acquire British Airways subsidiary Deutsche BA (DBA) raised questions about DBA's ability to survive in the highly competitive German market.
Iberia's Chairman and CEO Xavier de Irala is convinced his airline could lead any new alliance group that may emerge in the future. Irala does not see much of a change in the alliance concept short term, "but we have to get ready for consolidation," he said at the Aviation Week/Merrill Lynch European Transport Leaders Conference in London. "We have a lot to bring to the partners that are not growing from their hubs" because of capacity constraints, while Iberia will see the opening of two new runways at Madrid in 2005 and another one at Barcelona.
