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.
China Southern plans to begin flying its Airbus A380s on international routes in the first quarter of next year after gaining experience with the 507-seat aircraft on domestic routes. The airline on Oct. 14 received the first of five A380s on order and will receive a second in December. President Si Xianmin says the airline will use the first two aircraft on domestic routes—among Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou—to build operational experience. It will then expand the route network overseas.
Germany plans to reduce its air passenger duty by 5.5% next year as the European Union introduces its emissions trading scheme (EU ETS). According to internal finance ministry documents, Germany would reduce the €45 charge for long-haul flights to €42.52, the €25 for medium-haul services to €23.62, and the short-haul tax from €8 to €7.56. The cuts are supposed to compensate for the expected costs the airline industry faces with ETS. A German federal law limits air passenger duty revenues to €1 billion annually.
A regional court yesterday banned all night flights at Frankfurt Airport in a surprise decision. Nightly takeoffs and landings are no longer allowed from Oct. 21—the day the fourth runway opens at Europe’s third-largest airport.
