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.
Qatar Airways is interested in becoming a launch customer for the Boeing 777-9X. Qatar’s CEO Akbar al Baker on the sidelines of the Paris air show said that he would sign a deal “if we can iron out all the requirements” and define performance specifications. Al Baker did not say how many aircraft he would like to order. The airline is only interested in the -9X and not the -8X, “because the [Airbus] A350-1000 will do most of the missions the -8X does,” he says.
The Airbus A380 program got a major boost after Doric Lease Corp. signed a memorandum of understanding for 20 aircraft on the first day of the Paris air ahow. Airbus has had no orders for the aircraft in 2013. Once firmed up, this order will be the largest for the A380 since Emirates Airline ordered 32 units in 2010. Doric plans to take delivery between 2016 and 2021 and will choose engines before the end of the year.
The first Airbus A350 is undergoing three to four days of inspections before the aircraft’s flight-test program continues. “We will be flying some time [this] week,” Airbus’s chief test pilot Peter Chandler told Aviation Week after the landing of the first flight in Toulouse June 14. Airbus indicates that the second flight is planned for June 18, if no major flaws are found.
