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.
Swedish regional carrier Skyways on Tuesday ceased all operations and said it would simultaneously file for bankruptcy. “The owners of the company have decided not to fund the company any longer and therefore the board of directors was forced to decide to stop all payments and to stop all flights,” the airline says on its website.
Finnair in October will outsource about one third of its European flying program to British regional low fare carrier Flybe, under a memorandum of understanding between the two carriers. The move is part of Finnair’s efforts to return to profitability following years of rising losses. The carrier has launched a €140 million ($178.2 million) cost saving program to be fully implemented in 2014 that includes the sale of its catering unit, outsourcing engine and component maintenance and cutting four Airbus A320s and five Embraer 170s from its European fleet.
Ask Laurie Price, director of aviation strategy at the Mott McDonald consultancy, what an ideal European regional airline looks like and he will say: It should be well-established in niche markets with a significant share of public service obligation (PSO) routes. And it should have a strong relationship with one of the region’s major airlines as a complement for the base network.
