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.
Malaysian low-fare airline group Air Asia could soon add to its firm order for 200 Airbus A320NEOs. CEO Tony Fernandes says negotiations are continuing with Airbus but declined to specify how many aircraft he would like to order. “That depends on the discount Airbus is offering to us,” he said May 24 at an Airbus event in Toulouse. Air Asia took delivery of its 100th A320 on Thursday. The airline has ordered 75 more, plus the 200 NEOs.
Airbus will have to retrofit 120 A380s to resolve a problem with wing component cracking before a permanent fix will be implemented on new-build aircraft. The aircraft maker has already delivered 74 A380s, but the total number in need of retrofit will grow to 120 aircraft because of work already in the production system, says Tom Williams, Airbus’s executive VP-programs.
