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.
Calls have been growing in Europe for airline bailouts to include environmental conditions and before the COVID-19 crisis, the French government was among those calling for greater sustainability efforts from airlines in recent months, introducing an eco-tax on flights departing France from the start of 2020.
International Airlines Group (IAG) plans to take delivery of 68 fewer aircraft until 2022 and is considering accelerated retirement of sub-fleets to bring its capacity in line with what it expects will be subdued demand over a long period of time.