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.
JENS FLOTTAU AND MICHAEL A. TAVERNA ( MUNICH AND PARIS)
Japan Airlines' entry into the Lufthansa Cargo-led WOW alliance and the sale of Lufthansa's share in DHL International to Deutsche Post signify new steps forward in the attempt by the German carrier and its WOW partners to establish a lead position, and ensure profitability, in the competitive air freight market. Japan Airlines Cargo joined the WOW airfreight alliance earlier this month after lengthy negotiations (AW&ST July 15, p. 19). The alliance was created in early 2002 by LH Cargo, SAS Cargo and Singapore Airlines Cargo, under the name New Global Cargo.
The erratic flight path in bad weather conditions of a Swiss International Air Lines' Saab 2000 twin turboprop, which ended in a crash landing at a former military air base, is raising questions about the newly formed carrier's operating procedures. None of the 20 crewmembers and passengers were injured, but the aircraft suffered severe damage. The BFU German accident investigation office has formed a team to determine the causes of the July 10 mishap. The Saab 2000, operating the Basel-Hamburg route as Flight 850, departed at 5:55 p.m.
German investigators are looking at work-rule compliance and potential system deficiencies at Swiss air traffic control provider Skyguide, as well as cockpit procedures, to determine what caused the midair collision between two commercial jets over southern Germany on July 1. Traffic in the region is handled by Skyguide. The aircraft--a DHL Boeing 757 (A9C-DHL) and a Bashkirian Airlines Tupolev Tu-154 (RA-85816)--collided over the northern shore of Lake Constance near the town of Ueberlingen close to Akabi waypoint. All 71 on both aircraft died.
